


Oni and Okashi

by choriarty



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: (for Mondatta anyways), Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Baking, Dancing, Demon Summoning, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, Food Poisoning, Friends to Lovers, Hurt/Comfort, Illnesses, Kidnapping, M/M, Magic, Mutual Pining, Near Death Experiences, Oni Genji Shimada, Only ch13 has smut, Plot? In my fic? It's more likely than you think, Romantic Tension, Slow Burn, Smut, They do the secx, Witch Zenyatta, Witches, rescuing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-29
Updated: 2017-06-10
Packaged: 2018-09-20 18:40:47
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 21
Words: 83,453
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9506510
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/choriarty/pseuds/choriarty
Summary: Zenyatta is only a simple wizard with a penchant for potions and occasionally making sweets. However; even with his magic, it's difficult to keep a tower in good condition all by himself. Sometimes he asks others for help with chores and errands...  others whom he can only contact through a summoning circle.That is, until something else comes through it.





	1. Genji the Demon

**Author's Note:**

> ONI 「鬼」 - a kind of yōkai from Japanese folklore, variously translated as demons, devils, ogres or trolls.  
> OKASHI [お菓子] - the japanese word for 'sweets'.

“Oh,” Zenyatta said.

The smoke pouring from the summoning circle swirled around his bare feet and sent goosebumps crawling up his legs. It felt thicker and colder than any before, and as Zenyatta watched the heavy smoke part, the demon before him sent his stomach dropping into his feet.

Instead of the tiny friend he was expecting, an almost humanoid figure squatted in the very center of the chalk circle. The first thing that Zenyatta could see was a snow white kitsune mask. An eerie red line stretched across in a smile and two squinty eyes. The second thing he could make out through the fog was a black and white kimono folded right over left, the sliver of moonlight that peeked through the curtains shone off of the delicate and intricate silk pattern.

And lastly Zenyatta noticed the swords strapped across the demon’s back and hip.

“This isn’t what I meant to do at all.”

 

===PREVIOUSLY===

 

“You’ve been getting enough sleep lately, yes?”

Zenyatta smiled to himself and continued to pull the potions from his bag. “Of course, Miss Amari.”

The woman smacked him in the shoulder despite the smile tugging at her lips. “Oh please, don’t get sassy with me,” She then looked down at the amount of potions Zenyatta was unloading. “You have enough here to stock my shelves for a month, maybe longer. It should have taken two weeks to make these. Are you overworking yourself?”

“The flu season is coming up, I do not want you to be unprepared,” he deflected.

Ana’s smirk turned soft. “Perhaps, but it doesn’t mean that you should coop yourself in for a week. A person cannot live on tonics alone, not even a wizard like you.”

“I am aware.”

 _“Are_ you?” 

Zenyatta chuckled “Yes.”

“Then quit working yourself silly,” The alchemist grabbed the bag from him when she became tired of his peaceful pace. She mumbled the numbers to herself and transferred everything over to a crate under the table, shuffling into the back room to grab the payment.

“How is your daughter?” Zenyatta called after her.

There was a sigh in the other room. “Fine, as always. She’s told me that they’ll be promoting her to guard captain before winter is over, but of course she could not visit and tell me in person.” There was the sound of coins being counted and then swept into a bag.

“Here, your payment,” Ana tossed the money at Zenyatta, who fumbled in surprise.

“This is far too much--”

“No, it is just enough, I’ll not hear another word,” The alchemist waved off Zenyatta’s protests and began pushing him out the door. “Go back home, get some rest, and for goodness sake _stop making potions._ Take a vacation for once, or else I’ll come to that reclusive tower of yours and force you to.”

Zenyatta laughed “Perhaps you could sick your daughter on me, I’ve heard that she’s being promoted to the guard captain.”

“Perhaps I will!” Ana winked and shut the door behind him.

For the entire walk home, Zenyatta had a smile plastered onto his face and knew that the extra work he had put in would be worth it. Ana Amari was a brilliant alchemist, and would treat his potions with care. It was always this time of year, when the snow began to pile up and the nights got colder; the time when people became sick more often. Hopefully Zenyatta had brewed enough for Ms Amari to hand out to any and all sick children and families who came to her doorstep.

However, when the wizard returned home, he was reminded just how long he had shut himself up in the basement. The path to the front door was beginning to pile up with snow and would be impassable by the next morning. Icicles were growing in size and numbers on his roof, which was not safe at all. Not to mention the state of his bedroom and living room. 

Shameful.

Zenyatta quickly waded through the snow and closed the door behind him after knocking the ice off of his shoes. He hung his cloak on the door hook and placed his things on the table nearby before shuffling through the mess of notes and books on his floor towards the top of the tower.

He thanked himself for not having cleaned up the attic recently. It would have taken all day to redraw an entire summoning circle.

He pulled the curtains on the tiny window closed so that the winter winds would not blow out any of the candles, and thankfully the chalk lines on the floor only needed some refreshing after being neglected for a week. With everything done, Zenyatta stood and lifted his hands over the summoning circle, uttering his spell.

Instantly after the spell was finished, the circle erupted in smoke and fire and Zenyatta covered his mouth with one hand and waved away the fog with another. From inside the smoke and flames came a small chirp.

“There you are, little one,” Zenyatta smiled and held out his arms. “Come here.”

A bright green dragon bolted from the hazy mess and into the wizard’s arms, nuzzling and wiggling into his loose robes. It was long and thin, more akin to the dragons in the east, with horns that grew from its head like coral. Despite how cute and friendly it was, the creature was a demon. Zenyatta chuckled and tried to get a hold on the quick little thing so he could scratch his chin. 

“It’s been a while, hasn’t it? Would you help me again?” he asked gently.

The small demon purred and chirped as an answer. 

“Thank you, my friend. I just need you to help me clear the ice from my roof and the snow from my walkway, then I shall give you your reward.”

One last twirl, then the dragon flew out the tiny window and got to work.

With Zenyatta and his small demon friend, the work around the tower got done in no time. The wizard could hear ice and snow being pushed away as he walked around his home and picked up stray papers and mess. When he could see the sun beginning to inch near the horizon, he checked out the window and saw his summoned dragon chasing after a snow rabbit. Zenyatta chuckled to himself. He would pretend not to have seen it.

Zenyatta was in his kitchen cleaning the last of his dirty dishes when the dragon flew in, its whiskers covered in powdery snow. “Are you finished now?” he asked.

It chirped and wrapped around Zenyatta’s neck like a scarf. “I suppose that’s a yes,” he smiled, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a pink candy. “Here is your reward.”

The dragon snapped up the sweet into its mouth and whistled happily, spinning around Zenyatta in a happy dance. After a moment of celebrating and showing off its pink prize to the witch, it poofed into smoke, contract fulfilled.

 

===LATER===

 

Zenyatta had never been very good at going to bed at a reasonable time.

One moment he was cleaning his chambers, the next he was sitting in a pile of notes after he had found a page from some book he had thought lost. It was only after his final candle had burnt down to a stub, the moonlight from outside illuminated the junkyard which was his room, that he noticed the time. Zenyatta sighed, followed by a yawn, and gently brushed the notes off of his lap.

“Come now,” he murmured to the burnt out candle. “Surely you have a minute left of life? Let me help.”

He plucked the holder from the cabinet and cupped it close to his face. With one breath, he teased magic flame into the weak wick. 

“There we go! Thank you, little candle.”

With that, Zenyatta travelled upstairs to restock before his emergency light went out. The closer he came to the main floor, the clearer he could hear the wind battering at his poor tower. The shingles on the roof clinked and clattered-- but perhaps not just because of the wind. Tiny footsteps were just loud enough to be heard over the storm.

Zenyatta carefully peeked out the front door. “Hello?” he called. “Is anyone there?”

The clicks of paws could be heard above, and Zenyatta squinted through the cold wind to see what could be making the sound-- when suddenly a gust battered at him. He sucked in a breath of surprise as his large-brimmed hat was swept away into the darkness and his was candle snuffed out. 

Whatever was on the roof landed the snow with a thump and ran off into the darkness.

Zenyatta went back inside with a sigh and locked the door behind him. He had only been outside the doorway for a moment, but already he was shivering, not to mention how his only source of light was gone. 

He shuffled towards the staircase and held onto the wall as he made his way to the top of the tower. The summoning room was just as dark as the rest of the house and Zenyatta could only hope that he didn’t scuff any of the chalk lines. He, like every young witch and wizard in training, had had the importance of 'redrawing a circle after every use' burned into his brain. Perhaps it was the cold, perhaps it was the dark, or perhaps it was the dangerous negligent nature of repetition; but whatever it was, Zenyatta did not redraw the magic circle.

He barely remembered casting his spell, but was immediately hit with the concern that he may have said it poorly, as the demon now in his house was not the cute green dragon that he remembered.

 

=== PRESENT ===

 

The demon stalked towards the edge of the chalk circle and leaned into Zenyatta’s personal space, its breath warm compared to the cold that the tower retained from the outside. The voice that spoke next was inside of Zenyatta’s head.

_[What is your wish?]_

Zenyatta took a deep breath and calmed himself. It would do himself no good to panic. “I need you to retrieve something for me.”

_[Name what you want. Treasure? A person?]_

“No, no. I would like you to find my hat, please.”

The room's temperature dropped to zero.

And then the demon opened its mouth.

“Eh?”

“Oh, and perhaps a candle or two as well. I have some in my storeroom, but it’s too dark to see.”

“W- wait, what?” the demon stepped back. “A hat? You want me to find a hat?”

“Yes!” Zenyatta said. “It blew away in the wind outside, and I’d rather not adventure at this time of night to find it.”

“I could get you a new hat!" The demon threw its hand up. "Or make you one! One that gives you even better casting powers! How about that?”

Zenyatta shook his head. “No, thank you. I’d rather just have my hat back.”

“How about a hat that turns you invisible? Or protects you from any physical harm?”

“My hat is fine.”

“That’s just stupid! Why would you summon me to get you your dumb hat?" The demon groaned in exasperation. "I’m one of the most powerful demons in the _entire_ underworld, and you want me to fuck around in the snow for some ratty witch hat?”

“Also candles,” Zenyatta corrected. “But in reality, I did not mean to summon _you_ in particular.”

With impeccable timing, a chirp came from behind the strange demon, and a familiar green dragon flew into Zenyatta’s arms. “Ah, there you are! Have you brought over a friend with you?”

The larger demon sagged, giving up on making sense of what he was thrown into. “You… you summoned Udon?”

“Is that its name?” Zenyatta said at the same time that the demon pointed at the dragon and exclaimed “Is this where you go all the time?!”

Immediately the demon realized what it had said. It coughed awkwardly.

“So you are Udon’s friend?” Zenyatta smiled kindly.

“No,” the demon paused. “Yes. I mean, kind of. It’s mine. Udon belongs to me.”

Zenyatta looked at the wiggly dragon in his arms. “Thank you for introducing me to your friend, little one.”

To which Udon responded by chirping and sticking its tongue out.

“Wait a second,” the demon shook its head and growled. “Stop changing the subject! I was summoned in order to make a deal. So, make your demands, and I shall grant them for a price”

“I already told you what I wished for.”

“No! Your requests are stupid! Ask for something for real! Like, make me assassinate someone!”

“I’d rather have my hat.”

The demon stomped its foot and roared, green fire spewing from underneath its white mask. Maybe Zenyatta should not have spoken so casually to--

With a wave of its hand, several colourful wide-brimmed hats and candles poofed into existence and fell into Zenyatta’s arms, making Udon chirp with annoyance as it landed on them. 

“Here is your stupid hat and a bunch of other stupid hats, and a bunch of crappy candles. Now,” the demon stepped out of the chalk circle and into the witch’s personal space. Zenyatta’s nose was almost touching the delicate mask that it wore.

_[I’ll have my payment~]_

Udon wriggled through Zenyatta’s grip and dug into his pocket, producing a small blue candy.

“Here you are,” said Zenyatta.

The silence that followed could have been cut with a dull butter knife. That is, until the demon closed the gap with a slump, plopping his head onto Zenyatta’s shoulder. He could feel the demon shaking, and what he thought was anger was revealed to be laughter when he snorted.

“I’ve never met anyone like you,” it said, voice sounding much younger without the intimidating filter.

“To be fair,” Zenyatta smiled. “I have not met anyone like you either.”

Two hands firmly grasped Zenyatta’s shoulders and the demon pulled back to speak to him, mask-to-face.

“What’s your name, wizard?”

“I was under the impression that it was impolite to ask for someone's name without providing your own.”

The demon laughed and pulled his mask back until it sat on top of his head. Underneath was a young man with hair as black as night and eyes that sparkled with green fire licking at its feet. It was astounding how the sight of that bright smile took Zenyatta’s breath away; more than getting his hat ripped off his head, more than summoning a powerful demon, and more than any of the ridiculous things that had happened that night.

“Call me Genji."


	2. Strawberries

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After their introductions, one grocery run, and two days later... Zenyatta summons Genji again. This time on purpose.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Holy SHIT. I never expected this fic to get so much positive attention!! I've never gotten so many kudos and comments before, you guys are spoiling me :'))))  
> Not to mention the fact that there is FANART for this, wtf???? I'm dying, squirtle. 
> 
> SO now all y'all get a chapter early. I've drawn out the story outline and planned around 20 chapters, give or take, and hopefully I'll be tossing them out once or twice a week. 
> 
> But seriously, I can't thank everyone enough for their support and love. Genyatta fans are some of the nicest people I've ever met, and I'm so happy to be here.
> 
> First piece of art by my hero, byacolate.  
> http://caednua.tumblr.com/post/156571894707/a-little-zen-and-udon-thing-for-chohouses-cute
> 
> Second piece by my celebrity crush, scoobert.  
> http://freckled-king.tumblr.com/post/156698914032/finished-a-doodle-for-the-amazin-genyatta-fanfic

It was only two days later when the demon was called again.

“So,” Genji said, floating in the air the same way a swimmer would drift in the lake on a summer day. “You summon me, and then you don’t even say hello? Is there even a name for that? Summon and run?”

“Ah, Genji!” Zenyatta smiled at his visitor and turned from his work. His hands were covered in the same white powder that smudged his robes and cheeks. “Thank you for coming. I’m sorry about leaving you alone, but I’m very busy at the moment and I only had enough time to cast the spell and run back.”

Genji grinned back like a cat, but with impossibly more teeth. “So I finally get to see some of your magic? What are you doing? Making a curse, or brewing a potion of immortality, or raising a human from the d--”

“Ah, nothing so exciting. I’m just baking something.”

“Uh… you mean like, brewing?”

“No,” Zenyatta said simply. “I mean baking.”

Genji peeked behind Zenyatta’s back and found the working bench covered in flour. To the side was a bowl of something bright red. “Ohhh, so you’re making a poisoned pie or something? Or is this blood?” he went to stick a sharp-nailed finger into it.

Zenyatta slapped it away immediately, the flour on his hand poofing into the air on contact. “That’s the strawberry filling.”

“ _Poisoned_ strawberry filling?”

“No.”

Genji huffed and crossed his arms. “What kind of wizard summons a demon and then bakes pies? A non-evil pie, too!”

“One that needs a taste tester. Please, take a seat.”

“What will you do if I don’t?”

“I wouldn’t be able to do anything to a strong, independant demon who does not want to sit down at dining table. However; if a strong independent demon drops crumbs on the floor, he would have to sweep them up.”

Genji grumbled and landed on the wooden chair, making sure that Zenyatta knew how much he didn’t want to be there.

Zenyatta turned back to the oven to watch his project. “You are wearing a different mask today.”

The mask he wore was much more ‘demon-like’ compared to the kitsune one he wore when they last spoke. This one had four bright red horns sprouting from it, red eyes, and a menacing smile with sharp teeth. Genji preened “Isn’t it cool?”

“It is! Is there a special occasion today?”

“Nah. I just like to switch it up. Keeps people on their toes.”

Zenyatta smiled. “It is very scary. Did you make it yourself?”

“Yeah! It’s super easy for a powerful yokai like me.”

“How wonderful and creative! You amaze me, Genji.”

Genji found himself at a loss of words. He rubbed the back of his neck and looked away. “Y-yeah. Of course! I’m awesome. About time someone realized it.”

He heard Zenyatta chuckle and felt his cheeks heating up. What was with this guy? He goes to all the work of drawing an intricate and powerful dark magic summoning circle and then uses it to call a weak familiar demon to help with chores. Then, when a more powerful demon shows up, he wants to be friends with it!

And he was so damn nice about it, too.

Maybe he was trying to get Genji’s trust? It isn’t a secret that he was connected to many other powerful yokai in the demonic realm. His entire family has been around since ancient times! Zenyatta must know that.

But looking at him like this, covered in flour and humming some unfamiliar tune to himself, Genji wasn't sure.

“It’s almost done,” Zenyatta pulled Genji from his thoughts. “Is Udon also coming?”

“Er, no. Not today,” Genji skirted around the subject. “Udon is… very busy. So it’s just me.”

Zenyatta’s smile fell just enough to make Genji want to fall on his knees and confess that he told the little dragon to stay home so he could monopolize the wizard’s time.

But Zenyatta recovered quickly. “Are you able to bring things back with you? Perhaps you can share some leftovers with our tiny friend.”

Genji could only nod rapidly, relieved for some reason. He watched with the a cat-like curiosity as Zenyatta teased the tart crust from within the oven using his magic and placed it on the table. He murmured and Genji could feel an ice spell cool the fresh treat. Zenyatta hummed as he scooped sticky red filling into the tart and sprinkled powdered sugar on top. The demon stared at the confectionary and tried not to get drool into his mask. 

Inside the filling was sliced pink strawberries; it smelled heavenly. There was nothing in the demon world like this. Nothing sweet grew down there, and the only bright fruit that are were poison for anything that isn’t already dead.

“Well?” Zenyatta asked. “Are you going to try some?”

Genji was glad that his mask covered his stupid-looking gape. “Y-yeah.”

Carefully, oh so carefully, the demon picked up the blunt knife and fork and cut into the dessert. The crust crumbled apart almost immediately, and Genji could feel his mouth water. He lifted the fork to his mouth and--

“Genji.”

Genji almost dropped it. “Yes!”

“You may need to take your mask off in order to eat.”

It clicked, and Genji groaned, planting his face on the table with a clack. He could hear Zenyatta giggle, and he was reminded of bells hung from a window on a windy spring day. The demon mask was then pushed up enough to comfortably sit on top of Genji’s hair and he quickly stuffed his mouth.

The sweetness of the jam immediately flowed over his tongue and filled his mouth, triggering his salivary glands into overdrive. The piece of strawberry is soft and almost melts in his mouth and the crust soaks up the flavour. Genji can hear someone groaning, and it takes a moment to realize that it’s himself.

While he’s licking his fork, he says “It’s okay.”

It only makes Zenyatta’s smile even brighter. “I’m so glad that it’s up to your standards, Genji.”

The demon grumbles and steals another forkful.

Only after Genji’s had a few mouthfuls does Zenyatta start to dig in himself. Somehow Genji didn’t think that this could get worse, but it does, because the wizard gets some pink filling on the corner of his mouth and doesn’t seem to notice.

Genji wants to lunge forward and lick it off of him.

Then Zenyatta takes a piece that is only a tad too big for his fork and has to balance it with his hand, which means that he gets sticky sauce on his hand.

So Genji is forced to watch him lick and suck those long, strong fingers of his.

“Genji?”

The demon inhales and chokes on the food in his mouth. “What? What’s up?”

“Are you okay?”

“Yeah, I’m fine. I’m good.” he coughs.

“Are you sure? Because you haven’t been eating very much.”

“No, no, I’m fine. I’m just… not used to the taste.”

“Have you never had strawberry tart before?”

“Ah, no. There’s not many sweet things down in my world.”

Zenyatta cocked his head, and suddenly Genji felt a stab of annoyance. He could already tell that he was going to pity him and feel ‘sorry’ for all the poor demons who lived down there. Surely some simple wizard who did nothing but bake cakes wouldn’t do anything else.

But Zenyatta only smiled softly, his eyes crinkling at the edges. “I suppose that I’ll have to make bigger portions next time, so you can take some home.”

And Genji didn’t feel pitied at all.

 

= = =

 

_“Say hello to Udon for me!”_

Zenyatta’s goodbye echoed in Genji’s head as he re-entered the demon realm. It was only after a few minutes that he was able to snap himself out of whatever daze he had been in and head towards his wing of the estate. 

Upon entering his room, he was immediately assaulted by an offended green dragon. It nosed and pushed at his chest and snuffed in his face, almost pushing Genji over. In the demon world, Udon retained the majority of his power, and was the size of a large dog. If a large dog was as long as a boa.

“Aiya, Udon, I said I’m sorry!” Genji pushed the dragon’s snout in retaliation. “Here, Zenyatta made you this.”

Udon sniffed the package in Genji’s hand and quickly snatched it up, flying to its bed and delicately opening it. It whistled happily when it found the piece of strawberry tart and dug in.

“Jeez, you act like I never feed you.”

Udon rumbled.

“I can make sweets, too!”

Udon stared at him.

“Aren’t you supposed to be devoted and loyal or something? What happened to that? I thought we were friends, and now you’ve left me for some stupid magician.”

The dragon curled protectively around its treat and ignored Genji.

The demon groaned in frustration and kicked one of his pillows. It hit his wall with an unsatisfying poof, so he settled with stomping to his bed and flopping into it.

“I don’t get it! He’s so-- so stupid! A human hasn’t summoned a Shimada in centuries and then this guy does it by accident… It’s just… so…” Genji yelled into his pillow when he couldn’t find any more words.

After some more rolling in his sheets and groaning, he regains his ability to form coherent sentences. “Then he has the audacity to be so… so nice! You know what he did today?”

Udon doesn’t reply, but Genji continues nonetheless.

“He summoned me so that I could taste test his desserts!! That’s it! That wasn’t even the reward, it was the favour! I mean, shouldn’t it be the other way around? I do something evil and demon-y, and then he gives me a… well, normally he would give me his soul or maybe a sacrifice or something but…”

Genji breathes in and then sighs. He pulls a smaller pillow to himself and squeezes it in his arms.

“He let me eat the rest of it as a reward if I liked it, which was fucking obvious. Then he pulled out a huge book, and I thought he was going to ask me for a real deal, but he opens it up and it’s some recipe book! We went through it for almost an hour, and he kept asking what I had tried before and what I wanted him to bake.”

Genji feels his familiar chirp and nuzzle at the pillow in his arms, trying to squeeze its way into that spot. He throws the pillow away and Udon wiggles in close. It has red syrup on the fur covering its muzzle.

“He even marked the pages that I liked,” Genji murmurs. “What kind of person does that?”

 

= = =

 

Zenyatta slipped the heavy cookbook back into its place on the shelf, which creaked under the strain. Perhaps he should get another shelf soon. It wouldn’t do to be woken up in the middle of the night by the sound of three dozen tomes breaking the back of a bookshelf.

It seemed silly, but cleaning up was one of his favourite parts of baking. The sense of accomplishment hung over him as he hummed a tune and wiped down the counter of flour and sticky sauce. The hard work was done and now he could relax. 

Zenyatta was in the middle of untying his apron when he heard the sound of bells from his workshop. A sense of excitement bloomed in his chest and he jogged to the source, patting off his dusty hands in order to look somewhat nice.

There was a large mirror hung on the wall waiting for him. The surface glowed a soft gold and emitted the sound of jingle bells at an even pace. Zenyatta touched the surface and the colours melted away to form a picture.

“Brother,” Zenyatta smiled.

Mondatta turned towards his sibling in the mirror and showed him just as warm a smile. “Zenyatta, I’m glad that I caught you. I’m not interrupting anything, am I?”

“No. I just finished some baking, actually.”

Mondatta furrowed his brow and made a face that anyone would call a scowl, but only Zenyatta knew it to be his pout. 

“You torture me, telling me that my baby brother is making his delicious sweets without me there to eat them all.”

“That is exactly why I am making them now. I’m only taking advantage of your absence.”

“Perhaps I should have tied you up and kidnapped you, forced you to accompany me on my travels.”

“Such a pity. I made your favourite, too.”

Zenyatta laughed as his brother held a hand to his chest and acted faint. “This trip is tearing us apart! I must return home posthaste so our relationship does not strain any farther…”

“Brother…”

“If it means that I get to enjoy some of your famous desserts…”

“Mondatta--”

“Then that is only a coincidental reward.”

Zenyatta covered his mouth in order to try and stifle his giggling. “There will be nothing left for you when you arrive, anyways. It’s all been eaten.”

“You ate it all by yourself?”

“No, I shared it with a friend.”

Mondatta smirked. “Oh? Is this a friend that I know?”

“Don’t meddle, brother. You’re supposed to be above that, aren’t you?”

“Not when it comes to my precious baby brother. Who did you share it with? Ana? Lucio?”

“No, no. A new friend.”

“Oh!” Mondatta clapped. “I’m so glad! I was worried when I went away that you would keep yourself locked up all day and night, only making potions. Who are they? How did you meet?”

“We met only by accident. He came through the summoning circle when I--”

“Summoning circle?” Mondatta’s smile disappeared. “You mean, it’s a demon?”

Zenyatta paused. “Er, yes. He is, but he’s very nice. He acts very cocky and silly, but really he’s sweet.”

Mondatta took a breath like he was going to argue, but kept silent. 

“For a demon he’s so very… human. He’s stubborn and tries to act like he’s one of those creatures from nightmare, but he loves sweet things and almost drooled whenever I opened up each new page in our old recipe book. It seems like he’s one of those older demons, the kind that only want make contracts with humans. I had to convince him that I was making a deal when I only wanted to invite him over for tea and snacks.”

Mondatta sighed. “Oh, Zenyatta.”

It felt like their younger years, all of a sudden. Mondatta was giving him the same look he would get when Zenyatta tried to sneak off somewhere or steal a cookie from the jar. “... Yes?”

“You know I love you.”

“Yes, I do. I love you also.”

“And you know I worry for you.”

“It’s hard not to.”

“I can’t say that I approve of making friends with a demon but--”

There was a muffled sound through the mirror, and Mondatta glanced away for a moment. Someone was speaking to him. 

“I have to go,” he smiled sadly. “But I know you, Zenyatta, and I know that you are a good judge of character.”

“Thank you, brother.”

“But I also know you are kind, too kind for your own good. Please, be careful.”

“I will.”

But Zenyatta was barely finished saying so before the call was ended, and he was left alone in his tower once more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I read every single damn comment u all write, and then print them out and cut each one out and scrapbook them and sleep beside the scrapbook so I can dream of kissing all of u on the forehead.
> 
> Please tell me if I've made any grammar or spelling mistake, or if you have any concerns/criticisms at all! I want to know what you think, and if I should tweak anything.


	3. Gardening

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zenyatta asks Genji to help him pick ingredients from the forest, and Genji wonders why the wizard even summons him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> what the fuck you guys, stop being so damn NICE. i keep getting these positive comments that make my day, and i get art sent to me, like WTF. quit it or else im gonna be exposed for the sappy pile of mush i really am. also im posting without a beta.  
> NO REREAD JUST POST WE DIE LIKE MEN
> 
> this chapter is a bit bigger. and by bigger i mean 3k instead of 2k. so enjoy???

Zenyatta clapped his hands together happily, “Genji! I’m so glad that you came.”

Going by the fact that he had not said anything, Genji assumed that the wizard did not notice the fact that his entrance was more dramatic than normal. Not that it was not dramatic most of the time, which it was. Perhaps Zenyatta had noticed, but opted not to say anything. Maybe he wasn’t really all that impressed. 

Genji moved out of his cool pose. “Of course I did. You summoned me.”

“Yes, but that does not mean that you have to come. If you’re busy there’s no need to feel obligated to visit.”

Genji scoffed. “You think I don’t know what? I have powerful sorcerers and potential clients trying to summon me all the time!” Lie. “You should be grateful that I’ve decided to grace you with my presence.”

To the horror of Genji’s weak heart, Zenyatta only smiled the kind of smile that made his eyes crinkle. “Then thank you, honourable demon, for visiting me.”

Immediately Genji felt bad. He looked at the ground and kicked at the leftover smoke from the summoning circle. “Well, uh, you’re welcome.”

“By the way,” Zenyatta added. “Your entrance was very cool today.”

If Genji had a heart that could beat, surely it would stop at this very second.

 

= = =

 

Somehow Genji Shimada, second son of the powerful Shimada demon bloodline, found himself wearing gardening gloves and a large-brimmed sun hat. Or at least what anyone sensible would call a sun hat, since the brim was ridiculously wide. Zenyatta called it a wizard hat and wore the exact same hat but only bright sky blue to match Genji’s mint green one. Suddenly he regretting giving the silly wizard so many hats.

“You know I don’t need these, right?” he asked. “I don’t think that any plant here could hurt me, or that I’d get a sunburn.”

Zenyatta hummed. “Tell me Genji, have you ever picked herbs before?”

“No.”

“And have you ever stayed in the sun for thirty to sixty minutes?”

“No…”

Zenyatta smiled at Genji, and he was reminded of the fox face on his own mask. “Then I suppose you don’t know for sure whether or not you need your gloves and hat. I’m sure a powerful and scary demon like you can handle it for a bit longer.”

Zenyatta happily returned to picking plants and Genji squinted at him. He willed his bitter stare to burn through the witch’s clothes and irritate his skin, but nothing happened, so he muttered to himself and went back to herb plucking.

“I could just grant you a bunch of ingredients or whatever. You don’t need to go out and do this, you know that right?”

“That makes sense,” Zenyatta hummed. “But I enjoy the work. I like to feel the sun on my back and the fresh air in my lungs; I like to feel the dirt under my nails and the grass stains on my fingers. Sometimes, if I’m lucky and quiet enough, the forest inhabitants will pay me a visit during my work. Other times I’ll come across people who work in the forest or people just making their way through. No matter what, I never think of it as a chore.”

Genji had not thought about it in that way before. From anyone else it would sound like preaching or a lecture; however, coming from Zenyatta, it truly sounded honest.

Even after the inspiring monologue, Genji couldn’t keep himself from becoming bored. Five more minutes of picking green things that looked exactly like other green things, the demon prince groaned and flopped backwards into the shrubbery. There was a quiet chuckle that came from Zenyatta’s direction, but otherwise he didn’t call Genji back to help him. 

He stared up at the sky and watched the fluffy white clouds that were visible through the snow-covered branches. There may have been a tiny chance that snow would fall on his face, but he couldn’t care enough to move. It took him a moment, but Genji realized that he could not remember the last time he saw the sky look so blue.

The sky in the demon realm was grey and the clouds were never as bright white as they were in the mortal world, and the last time he was summoned it was in a cellar. It almost looked unreal, like it could fall upon him at any second and reveal the drab colour beneath.

But before it could, Genji felt Zenyatta touch his ankle. He sighed and slung an arm over his eyes. “I am asleep, don’t poke me.”

“I am not poking you.”

“Haha, very funny. Yes you are.”

“Genji,” Zenyatta said. “Open your eyes. Look.”

Genji sat up in a huff and immediately felt all of the air get sucked from his lungs. On his leg was a bird. A tiny bird, smaller than the size of his fist. It was brown and white with tiny black eyes that watched the demon prince. Genji couldn’t move, he couldn’t breathe. He was suddenly very terrified of scaring away the fragile looking thing.

But eventually the bird lost interest and flew up away and into the trees. Genji was still stunned, frozen to the spot, wondering if he had just hallucinated.

“Genji,” Zenyatta said. Genji turned to look at him.

The wizard had both of his hands up to his face, barely covering the ridiculously wide smile that was plastered on it. His eyes were almost slits, but still Genji could see the way the way they sparkled with mirth and excitement.

“What was that…?” was all he could get out.

“That was a sparrow,” Zenyatta’s smile somehow got bigger.

“What…? Why…?”

Zenyatta giggled. “Do you see now what I mean?”

Genji looked from Zenyatta to his leg where the sparrow had perched, then back to Zenyatta, then up into the trees where he could hear the sound of birdsong.

“Yeah…” he whispered. “Maybe I do…”

 

= = =

 

“So are you going to be making potions with these?” Genji asked. “Non-evil potions?”

Zenyatta chuckled. “Perhaps.”

“Aw come on, you can’t be all mysterious about this.”

“Can’t I?”

“No!” Genji whined. “I helped you dig through the snow and dirt all morning, so I get to know.”

“Do you want that to be your payment?”

Genji was silent at that, and Zenyatta laughed again. 

“Peace, Genji. I’ll be making your reward with some of this. Don’t worry.”

So Genji patiently (or as patiently as possible) followed his summoner back towards his home. As they left the cover of the trees the snow became heavier and deeper. With one misstep, snow piled into Genji’s shoe and he yelped, jumping into the air and staying there. 

When Zenyatta noticed that the sound of Genji’s footsteps crunching in the snow had stopped following him, he looked behind and came face to face with a very grumpy demon lazily floating behind. He covered his smile with one hand and Genji looked away in a huff.

As soon as Zenyatta looked away, he felt something grab under his arms and yank him upwards. He gasped and held tightly to the baskets in his hands, instinctively trying to get away, but the hands held tight.

A chuckle came from above him and he looked up to see Genji beaming down at him, his mask sitting on the side of his head. Zenyatta had the breath taken from him for a moment as he really took in the view.

Genji’s eyes seemed to sparkle with mirth, pushed into a smaller shape by his smiling cheeks. The kind of pink that dusted one’s cheeks after a day in the snow sat on Genji’s face and contrasted with his unnaturally white and sharp teeth. Somewhere behind him at the sun, making it look like he was glowing. The light shone through his pitch black hair brightly enough to have Zenyatta notice that it wasn’t really black, but an extremely dark brown.

The demon must have caught Zenyatta staring with an expression of awe and his monkey-ish grin wavered. “What? Is there something on my face?”

“Yes,” Zenyatta said, before reaching up and pulling the fox mask over him.

Genji just laughed and flew them the rest of the way home.

 

In no time at all, they arrived at their destination and Genji gently returned Zenyatta back onto the ground. “You didn’t drop anything did you?” the wizard asked.

“Nope!” Genji preened as his two baskets of herbs floated behind him. “I don’t need hands to hold stuff.”

“Aren’t you talented?” Zenyatta smiled and unlocked the front door.

“Oh this is nothing to me,” Genji swooped in over his head and plucked the baskets out of his hands. They floated into the air and began to orbit around the demon. “It’s almost as easy as breathing. Imagine the kind of mayhem I could get up to if you gave me your soul, or your _heart.”_

“I’m sure you are able to get into enough trouble without those things.”

“I am, but I could take over the world with you.”

“You flatter me,” Zenyatta grabbed a basket out of Genji’s orbit. “Or at least you flatter the magical properties of my body parts.”

“It’s a compliment!”

Zenyatta only hummed and began preparing the ingredients for Genji’s reward. He plucked a piece of fresh ginger from the basket and washed it off in the sink before using a spell to freeze it. Two mugs were pulled from the cupboard and honey was drizzled inside. 

Grate the ginger, add lime, mix with the honey, add cold water and ice…

“Is it done?” Genji reached for the cup and Zenyatta smacked his hand away.

“Patience…” Zenyatta cast a small spell on the liquid inside and watched as it fizzed before finally giving it to the over-eager demon. “Is a virtue.”

“What is it?”

“It’s your reward.”

“My reward?” Genji frowned. “It’s a potion, not even! It’s just cloudy-looking water.”

“Fine,” Zenyatta pulled the mug towards himself. “More for me.”

“I didn’t say I didn’t want it.” Genji grumbled and pulled the mug back.

The demon waited until Zenyatta had taken his first sip and hummed with satisfaction before he sniffed his own drink. It looked to be boiling still, but he could feel the chill of the ice through the cup. He touched it with his tongue and made a face.

“That’s weird!”

“What’s weird?”

“It tingles!”

Zenyatta only smiled and watched Genji over the rim of his own mug, not saying anything else. He could be trying to poison the demon, except that demons were immune to poison… and he had watched Zenyatta make the drink. He tried taking a sip and made another face when he felt the fizzy drink on his tongue. He swallowed and the bubbles traveled down his throat.

“It’s fizzy!!” he exclaimed dumbly.

“Is it good?” Zenyatta asked.

But Genji was too busy already taking another mouthful. He had a giant smile of wonderment on his face as he enjoyed the curious tingly feeling and the strong taste of ginger and citrus. Yet at the same time, the honey made the drink sweet without taking away the strength of the ginger.

Before he knew it, the drink was almost finished and Genji struggled to wrestle the last of it from behind the ice. 

“Was that reward satisfactory, honourable demon?” Zenyatta smiled.

“Yeah!” Genji’s voice was muffled by his cup. “Is there more? This isn’t enough!”

The wizard giggles and it sounds like chimes in the wind, and Genji is glad his face is obscured by his mug. The sound of his laughter is addicting, and he wants to hear it all the time, but somehow he does just by being himself. Normally he pulls a funny guy act or has to crack a joke in order to make the candy on his arm laugh, but Zenyatta seems to hand out his smiles and cheer freely.

It truly baffles him.

“I can make you more, if you like.”

“Yes! I’ll do anything! I’ll dig some more up for you!”

“No need. I’m just happy to have someone around to enjoy what I make.”

Zenyatta sips some more of his own drink and returns to the counter to make some more for Genji, but Genji can’t help but wonder. Is that why he summons him so much? For companionship? The demon has never been too far from the tower, but it seems far away from any other humans. Is Zenyatta lonely? Does he have friends?

Why does he care? Genji quietly growls at himself and burrows his face into his hands. He’s just some wizard, using you like anyone else who uses a summoning circle. That’s what it’s for. Genji is using him, too. For sweets that he would never be able to taste in the demon realm. 

“Here you are,” Zenyatta reappears and hands the demon back his now full mug.

“What do you want for it?” he asks, wincing at how bitter he sounds.

But the wizard only cocks his head and looks confused. “Nothing.”

“Nothing? But my reward was the one glass.”

Zenyatta hums, thinking. “Then this will be a gift, from me to you.”

“.... A what…?”

“A gift,” but then the wizard looks away. “I admit, I wish that my first gift to you was something a bit more substantial, but I suppose we don’t get to choose what opportunities the universe hands us.”

“A gift--” Genji cuts himself off. “Wait, what do you mean by ‘first’ gift?”

“Well, first as in I am planning to give you more. Hopefully not all of them will be things you’ll eat right away.”

And then Zenyatta smiles again, and Genji almost drools at the way his soul shines through those eyes.

“After all, isn’t that what friends do? Give gifts?”

Genji feels like an idiot because it all suddenly makes sense and he wants to throw himself into the snow and suffer the chill of a million accidental ice clumps down his shirt. In all of his internal monologues and meditating on how strange this wizard was, he never truly thought about how he might look at Genji the same way. 

Not in the demon perspective or favours given and received, but in the strange human perspective. In Zenyatta’s perspective, Genji had shown up with his friend Udon and even though they weren’t quite acquaintances, he had helped retrieve that ratty hat and create several others. Then Genji had come over and spent the day with him, trying sweets and going over recipes like any new friends would at a tea party. Finally, Genji had helped Zenyatta with a chore in the snow that he would normally have to do alone.

Genji was an idiot.

He yanked at the bright green scarf around his neck and was about to push it towards the wizard before he thought better and folded it neatly. “Here,” Genji said. “A gift, for you.”

“Oh, Genji, you don’t need to--”

“I want to,” Genji shoved it at Zenyatta. “I want to give it to you.”

Zenyatta took it and wondered it, like it had popped out of thin air into his hands. His thumb and finger rubbed at the soft fabric while Genji fretted to himself. Was it too soon? Did it seem gross? He had been sweating in it all morning while they were picking herbs…

But then Zenyatta carefully unfolds it and wraps it around himself. 

“How do I look?”

The sight makes something in Genji’s chest tighten.

“Almost as handsome as me.”

 

= = = 

 

The sun is just peeking over the horizon when Genji and Zenyatta are done. Zenyatta had made a third batch and then put a fourth into a canteen for Udon. Then he had shown Genji around his home as he had only ever seen the summoning room and kitchen before. Outside was a fenced off area that Zenyatta usually used for his garden during the spring and summer, but the warmer weather was still far off. 

Genji had worriedly and awkwardly asked Zenyatta if he had any friends, which sparked a passionate rant about each and every person he knew in the neighboring town. 

There was Ana Amari, the alchemist and village doctor, who bought his potions. A couple that had strange nicknames for each other and ran the weapons shop named Jamison and Mako. The tavern owner was a giant man from a foreign country with a large scar and a white beard to match named Reinhardt, and the musician who played there named Lucio. The blacksmith was named Torbjorn, but did not like wizards very much. 

There were many, many more, and then there was Zenyatta’s older brother. Mondatta was a powerful wizard like his Zenyatta, perhaps even moreso, but he had left Zenyatta alone when he was offered to teach at the royal academy for wizards. He explained that it was a huge step, as magic had been hated for a very long time before the new king had taken over from his father. Now wizardry was encouraged, even, and there was a royal magic user appointed to advise alongside the royal family. 

Zenyatta had been offered a place in the college as well, but he refused. 

But now it was getting late, and Genji would catch his friend yawn and blink slowly at him every once in a while. It was cute. Zenyatta stood at the edge of the summoning circle, the bright green scarf still wrapped around him all this time, seeing Genji off.

“Goodnight, Genji,” he said. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“See you,” Genji replied, and then he was gone.

Zenyatta yawned again and covered his mouth. Truthfully he had stayed up much later other nights in his life, but somehow spending the day with a friend had used up more energy than he was used to. He shuffled down the stairs and into the kitchen to clean up one last time so that rodents wouldn’t be tempted to spend a winter vacation there, and then went down to his room. 

Gently he hung his hat up on a hook, next to his other hats, and toed off his shoes and socks. Only when he was in his comfortable night pants and slippers did he hear the sound of the summoning circle come to life upstairs.

“Genji?” he called. “Is that you?”

Zenyatta pulled the scarf around himself and wrapped it around his head, as it was long enough to do so. His slippers muffled his footsteps on the stone floor as he climbed his way back up the tower. The foyer was empty, so was the kitchen, and every other room he came across.

“Did you forget something?” he called again.

The attic door was still closed shut, and upon opening it he found it to be empty. Zenyatta could not find any remnants of smoke or the scent of his own magic, and all of the candles were still out. Perhaps he had heard things. It had indeed been a long day.

But when he turned around, the door was closed. Zenyatta felt a chill chimb up his spine.

Then someone wrapped their hand over his mouth.

“Nothing personal.”

And blackness washed over his vision.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> plot, in my fic?????   
> its more likely than u think


	4. Hanzo the Demon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zenyatta wakes up somewhere else to a face he's never met before. With his hands bound and no clue where he is, how is he supposed to get home?
> 
> Meanwhile, Genji tries to sleep, and Udon tries to find something to do.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> kill me this is 4900 words. im not reading this until tomorrow at least so there will probably be mistakes that wont be fixed for a bit.
> 
> on a happier note, i got some MORE FANART!!! this time of zenyatta's and mondatta's witch hats. ive been looking at this for days its wonderful and amazing. 
> 
> http://venomines.tumblr.com/post/156966648750/loooool-some-hats-ive-been-in-a-real-witchy-mood

Genji didn’t really need sleep, no demon did.

But he knew that if he didn’t try, or at least lay down, he would do something stupid like leap through that damned portal and annoy Zenyatta into hanging out with him early. Zenyatta was a human, and humans needed sleep. Genji would just have to wait until his friend was finished.

His _friend._

The demon squeezed his pillow tightly and smushed his face into it. It was silly to feel this way, he had had friends before. Hell, he had friends right now.

But Zenyatta felt different.

Genji never ceased to be surprised by the wizard. He was completely unlike anyone he had ever met down in the demon realm, especially since everyone he knew was demonic royalty. Zenyatta foraged by himself, cooked for himself, and made a living all on his own. 

Meanwhile, Genji has had servants waiting on him hand and foot every since he could remember. 

It seemed so… boring. So much hard work for such little gain. The wizard could go ingredient hunting for a week, come home to brew potions and spells for a month, and the money he would earn wouldn’t come close to the kinds of riches the Shimada clan earned in taxes in a day.

_(“I enjoy the work. I like to feel the sun on my back and the fresh air in my lungs; I like to feel the dirt under my nails and the grass stains on my fingers.”)_

Was there more to Zenyatta’s work than money? Than survival? The witch could bake a cake and glow with a kind of satisfaction, but Genji could fight ten of his enemies’ armies and still feel the buzz of boredom under his skin.

Maybe Genji was missing something. Maybe Zenyatta had that thing.

He closed his eyes and let himself float in his questions.

 

= = = 

 

Zenyatta felt groggy and tired. Every limb in his body felt heavy and slow, especially his head. His neck was almost too weak to lift his skull and he groaned. It was almost as bad as when he had the flu a few years ago, but thankfully he didn’t feel like emptying his stomach. Why was he so tired?

And then he remembered.

He jolted with recognition, but otherwise stopped himself from moving. Zenyatta forced himself to think-- to sort the clutter inside his head. Someone had grabbed him, had probably kidnapped him.

Someone that came through the summoning circle.

That wasn’t an easy feat. Summoning circles weren’t exactly two-way doors to the demon world, nor were they vulnerable portals that could be accessed by creatures willy-nilly. It was more like a window. A window that didn’t exist until Zenyatta activated it and called for a demon to come through. 

Whatever used his circle was not only powerful enough to rip through it from the side it wasn’t supposed to open from, but it also knew exactly where his circle was. 

It was only after remembering what had happened that he realized several thing. The first thing was that his hands were bound together at the wrists, the second was that something was holding him around his torso, and the third was that there was wind buffeting at him.

Zenyatta opened his eyes and inhaled sharply.

He was in the air-- miles and miles in the air-- hanging by whatever was carrying him. His stomach dropped down to his toes and he instinctively kicked out, only hitting air. Below him spanned aches of grey and black forests spattered with the occasional glimpse of the dull grass hidden beneath. 

“Ah, so you’re awake.”

Zenyatta looked up and saw a man-- no. Not a man. A demon. The angles of his face were as sharp as a knife with cheekbones that could cut a mortal. Following the lines of his face were dark red lines that swirled and reminded the wizard of the markings on Genji’s face. Those dark eyes bore through Zenyatta’s soul. The only feature that could be considered something other sharp and dangerous was the long black hair braided down his back.

The only thing more alarming than the look on the demon’s face was the large blue dragon that he rode.

“Worry not,” the demon said before Zenyatta could form words. “I’m not going to kill you.”

Zenyatta waited for more, but his captor did not elaborate any further. He looked upwards and found an identical dragon holding him in its claws. Both creatures flew and undulated together almost perfectly in sync. The only clue that said they weren't the same monster mirrored was that the dragon holding Zenyatta looked down at him to meet his stare. 

Anyone else would be scared, and Zenyatta could feel the instinctual fear in the back of his mind, but he found himself calm. Perhaps he was thousands of feet above the ground being held by a large blue dragon and being held hostage by an unfamiliar demon powerful enough to break through the wrong side of a summoning circle…

But after a moment of maintaining eye contact with the monster holding him, the dragon did something unmenacing. It blinked and cocked its head at him curiously, and the image of Udon suddenly flooded Zenyatta’s mind. He had an urge to open his mouth and greet the creature.

Before he could, the demon on the dragon next to him clicked his tongue and the dragon looked to its master instead before returning its gaze to their destination. 

“Are I in the demon world?” Zenyatta prodded for information.

“Yes.” the demon answered. Again there was no elaboration.

“Why?”

The demon looked at Zenyatta like he had just sprouted a second head. “... why?”

“Yes. Why am I in the demon world?”

“Because I took you here.”

“Why did you take me here?”

“Why do you ask so many questions?”

“I assumed that I should know why I was kidnapped.”

The demon grumbled “And I assumed that the sleeping potion would last longer. I was hoping that someone else would tell you.”

“Does it displease you to speak to me?”

“No. I don’t know you.”

“I don’t know you either, but I have a good solution to that.” Zenyatta hummed. “I am Zenyatta.”

“Why should I tell you who I am?”

“Why shouldn’t you?”

“Because I don’t know you.”

“But you do! I am Zenyatta.”

The demon only frowned. “You seem very calm for a mortal being held very high in the air by a large dragon.”

“I am a very calm mortal. I could be afraid-- or I could take advantage of this extremely rare opportunity to study the demon realm as a mortal has never before. I could struggle for freedom-- or I could appreciate the grace and beauty of the dangerous creature holding me. I could beg and plead-- or I could speak civilly with a friend I haven’t made yet.”

The demon watched Zenyatta, looking over his face for any trace of insincerity, before a grin tugged at the edge of his mouth and he shook his head. “You are very strange,” he huffed.

“So some say,” Zenyatta replied.

The demon nodded at him. “I am Hanzo.”

“A pleasure to meet you, Hanzo, though I wish it could be under different circumstances. Who are your friends?”

Hanzo looked at him as if Zenyatta had asked something strange. “These are my dragons.”

“I can see that. What are their names?”

“I see. Asking the name of a demon’s familiar is considered rude for someone not intimate with them.”

“Then I apologize, and hope I may get the opportunity to learn their names later. May I ask a less invasive question?”

“I’ll allow it.”

“Why have you taken me here?”

At that, Hanzo’s face turned grim once more. “... I suppose that I owe you that answer, after stealing you away from your home; however, we are close to our destination. I shall tell you when we have landed safely behind the palace walls.”

Zenyatta was about to accept and opened his mouth to speak but before he could, both of the blue dragons dipped downwards and stole the air from his lungs. The sudden whip of air caused the bright green scarf around Zenyatta’s neck to unfurl and be torn away.

“Ah..!” he gasped, his gut twisting in loss. As he watched the scarf fly away into the distance, reality hit him. He was a captive of a demon he didn’t know the motivations of, in a place that humans weren’t supposed to survive, with no way of getting home.

And no one had any idea that he was missing. 

 

= = =

 

Udon was bored. Master would not play with it and only stayed in bed. When Udon tried to get his attention, his master only buried himself in the sheets. It knew that there was no point in bothering him after that, but he continued nonetheless because his master would not let him be summoned by the sugar wizard.

“Go play with Shio and Shoyu! I’m trying to sleep!”

That was dumb. Master did not need sleep. 

However, master was being stubborn and not fun, so Udon left.

All of the lesser demons in the large halls moved out of the way for Udon as always. None made eye contact as they bowed, but Udon ignored them. They were not fun to play with either. Each of them looked very small compared to the towering ceiling of the palace, but that was to be expected. The palace was built to house dragons.

Udon’s brothers were not in the gardens, nor were they in the grand hall. The kitchens only had servants and food (which Udon nipped a little of). Finally Udon checked their room, but it was empty. 

But their smell was still there, so Udon followed it. Nose in the air, Udon floated back through the halls and into the great gardens. The scent went up and up and up into the air and outside the palace grounds. Did they go out?

Udon wasn’t allowed beyond the walls without master, but curiosity got the better of the situation. The green dragon looked around before quietly slithering up and away to follow the path its brother took.

When the castle began to get smaller and smaller in the background, Udon became nervous. If Shio and Shoyu were out, Udon shouldn’t follow them. Master was not here to protect the dragon. Udon turned around and began to head back-- only to smell something else. 

Human. 

Udon chirped and twisted in the air, sniffing excitedly to try and get the scent. It was weak, overwhelmed by the smell of Udon’s siblings. However, lower to the ground, the scent of dragon disappeared and there was only the faint smell of human. Down down down towards the trees and foliage Udon let his nose lead to find whatever was there.

It was faint, not an entire human was in the bush that Udon found, but something was there. The dragon stuck its head in and shuffled around until its nose hit whatever that scent was coming from. Udon grabbed hold-- gently-- with its mouth and pulled it out.

It was master’s green scarf.

 

= = =

 

Zenyatta wasn’t expecting this when he was captured.

Though his wrists were still tied, the wizard comfortably sat on a plush bed. The room he was in was larger than most of the rooms in his tower with a roof that made his neck strain upwards. The walls were decorated with tapestries that must have cost more than what Zenyatta made in a year.

The bedroom was no dark dungeon under six feet of stone, but still the air in the demon realm suffocated Zenyatta. It felt… thicker. The way the air felt on a wet summer's day with the wizard almost having to focus on the task of breathing in order to feel like he was not going to pass out. Of course, it worsened the longer he stayed here.

Perhaps Hanzo meant what he said about not killing him, but could the atmosphere suffocate Zenyatta before the demon changed his mind?

Just as Zenyatta was thinking of him, Hanzo entered the room. 

“I apologize for taking so long,” Hanzo said. “Debrief took longer than I would have liked.”

“Time is an illusion,” Zenyatta replied with a straight face.

Hanzo gave him another look and shook his head. He took a chair from beside the bed and sat in front of the wizard. “You have questions. I may answer some, but not all. Do not be offended if I deny you of information you are not classified to hear.”

Zenyatta nodded.

“I will not make you repeat yourself again; you wish to know why you are here. There is a simple answer and a complicated one. The simple one is: Genji.”

The wizard sat straighter on the bed. “Genji?”

“Correct. Do you know who Genji is?”

“Genji is a demon, of course.”

“Perhaps a simplistic answer. Genji is a very powerful and old demon, from a very powerful and old demonic bloodline.”

“I know this also. He has told me.”

Hanzo frowned disapprovingly. “Of course he has… Nonetheless, Genji has been shirking familial duties in order to visit you in the human world. It’s nothing very new, he’s always goofing off somewhere or other. But you…” The demon leaned forwards and inspected Zenyatta closely.

“You’re… different. He doesn’t even come to meals anymore, and he spends all of his time trying to sleep. What did you do to him? What do you pay him with?”

Zenyatta blinked. “I often reward him with things that I bake, but I haven’t done anything to him. Genji is my good friend.”

“You give him…” Hanzo trailed off in confusion. “You’re friends...?”

“Yes.”

The demon broke eye contact with the wizard and looked at the ground instead. Zenyatta could feel the large amount of discord coming off of him. Still, a bemused chuckle slipped from Hanzo’s mouth. “A demon and a human, friends… It figures that it would be my brother…”

“Your brother? Genji has a brother?”

Hanzo looked up at Zenyatta once more, but the expression on his face was something akin to pity. “... It looks like you don’t know as much about your ‘friend’ than you thought.”

Zenyatta had nothing to say to that, so he said nothing.

“Anyways,” Hanzo sighed and continued. “You summoning him is… getting in the way of his duties.”

“And that is why you kidnapped me?”

“Yes. If we killed you, he would find out and have another reason to disobey the family. If we took away your summoning circle, you would make a new one. If we threatened you, you might tell Genji. So it was in everyone’s best interests if you… disappeared, instead. In the time you are missing, Genji will assume that you lost interest, and come back to the clan. Or at least he’ll stop going all the way to the human world to escape us.”

“What if I summon him again once I am free?”

“My brother will have lost interest by then.”

“What if Genji does not lose interest?”

“He always does. Don’t take it personally, it’s his nature.”

Zenyatta thought for a moment.

“You care for him, don’t you?”

Hanzo leaned back in surprise. “What makes you say that?”

“This demon clan could have sent any demon to grab me from my home, but you came instead.”

“Any wizard that is able to summon someone like Genji must be powerful, so any lesser demon might not be enough.”

“Aha, but if I truly was all that dangerous, a large brute would have been sent for me instead. Or perhaps I would have been gotten rid of entirely if I was a danger. Yet-- here you are.”

Those sharp eyes scoured over Zenyatta once more, and he could feel their gaze digging around for any kind of motive. “You’re a clever one, aren’t you? If I truly came on my own, why would I?”

“I am only guessing, so bear with any mistakes I may make,” Zenyatta warned. “But I believe that your family did not want to capture me at all. Some ant-sized mortal was in the way of its path, and was to be brushed, but you intervened. You wanted me here, where you could watch me, even if I was an obstacle. But here is where I am lost. Why? Why would Genji’s brother want me alive? Perhaps I am of better use than while dead? Perhaps I am to be used as leverage?”

Hanzo’s eyes softened and he chuckled, shaking his head. “You have the final piece of your puzzle in the wrong place. Do you truly want to know why I kidnapped you, and why I didn’t just kill you in your sleep?”

The demon looked to the wall again, but his eyes were far away. “He was always so happy when he returned home from visits with you. It perplexed me. What was so exciting that he would let himself be called upon like a dog? What was it that he was smuggling home in parcels and packages? I was going to confront him, demand the truth of his visits, but--

“I saw him through a crack in his bedroom door. Demons don’t need sleep, and yet there he was, laying in his bed and squeezing his familiar like some stuffed animal. He had a smile on his face… the kind I hadn’t seen since we were children. Even if these escapades were getting in the way of his familial duties, I would not take the life of whomever was causing Genji to look like that again.”

“But you would kidnap that person? Make Genji think that that person did not care for him?”

“It is better for him, in the end. Humans and demons cannot be friends. That is how it is.”

Before Zenyatta could protest, before he could say that there should be no reason that two people cannot be friends because they were born different species, Hanzo stood up from the chair and pushed it back against the wall.

“I have spent too much time here already. I must get back to my father and tell him of what's happened. Stay in this room, you will be safe. No one shall harm you while you are here, but I cannot promise anything if you try to escape.” Hanzo glanced down at the binds on the wizard’s wrists. “I can send someone to help you with that after I leave.”

“No need,” Zenyatta said and burnt the rope to ashes with a snap of his fingers.

He could almost see the hair stand up on Hanzo’s head. “I… you could have done that this entire time?”

“Everyone in the world can dwell on what if’s, but the globe will turn with or without them. And you will be late for you meeting,” Zenyatta smiled. “Thank you for speaking with me, Hanzo.”

Hanzo stared at the ashes on the wizard’s lap, and then up to his face. Perhaps he had underestimated the human, who was clad only in striped cotton trousers and white slippers. He had been able to summon Genji, after all.

“... Right. I shall send someone for food. Stay here.”

Zenyatta watched him leave, smile still on his face. 

 

Once he was sure that the demon was gone, Zenyatta sat on the floor and assumed a proper lotus position. It had been a while since he meditated, but that was his own fault. 

Thankfully, Zenyatta didn’t need to leave his room in order to snoop around.

_Breathe in… breathe out… focus your mind on the magical energies around you and let go of your physical form._

Zenyatta reached out with his consciousness and felt how heavy the world was with magic. It was to be expected since he was in the demon realm, so he took another deep breath and looked past the thick fog. He could feel the many walls in the castle and all of the twists and turns the halls took. The farther he went, the more sure he became that Hanzo was telling the truth.

Everywhere he looked, there were more and more demons roaming around. The wizard had no doubt that most of them weren’t as friendly as Genji or Hanzo. Zenyatta sighed tiredly. Meditating was going to be no use to him if he couldn’t even make it back to the human world safely. It would be a better use of his time to get some rest, since he had been caught just before bed.

The mattress provided was comfortable and soft, and coupled with the amazing blankets and pillows, it felt like laying on a cloud. 

Sleep came easily.

 

Wakefulness came less so.

Zenyatta doubted that it was just the bed that wanted to keep him asleep. The air had only become heavier while he slept and almost had a tangible weight to it as he sat up. The wizard rubbed his crusty eyes as a demon with a large fish head opened the door and several followed it inside the bedroom.

With practiced motions a small table was set up beside the bed with a tray full of food and cutlery. Zenyatta opened his mouth to thank them, but his eyes were drawn to what was on the plate. Bloody raw meat with lumpy green slime and side of black soup.

“Thank you,” Zenyatta said, nonetheless. “But I cannot eat this.”

The demons stiffened and began to chitter to each other. The leader turned back to Zenyatta and pointed to the meat, “Not human.”

“That’s good to know, but I can’t eat it anyways. I can’t eat raw meat.”

The fish head demons clicked and chitter at each other again for a few minutes. The wizard patiently waited, but in the end they took the plate and left. 

A few minutes later they came back with another plate and similarly inedible things including: a live rat, bat wings, a gnawed bone, and something’s eyeballs. 

Zenyatta asked for water at one point, but when a glass arrived and he tried to drink, he was forced to spit it out. Even that one sip had clogged his throat and nose with its foul taste, like burnt plastic. Eventually the servants came back with nothing and bowed in shame, to which Zenyatta insisted that there was no need to be sorry. It wasn’t their fault that he could eat nothing there.

It had felt like hours had passed and the lack of sleep and food was chipping at Zenyatta, along with the near-unbreathable air. Passing out from either of them was looking more and more like a very real possibility.

Mondatta’s words of warning came back to him, and he wondered if the elder brother was right.

As always.

It said a lot that Hanzo entered the room before Zenyatta was aware of his presence. To give the demon credit, he looked just as worried as Zenyatta felt. “I… apologize,” he said. “We were not quite prepared to house a human guest. I have people foraging for things that may be suitable for a human at this moment.”

“That is very kind of you, Hanzo.”

Hanzo shook his head and almost chuckled. “Truly, you are strange. I kidnap you and fail to cater to your basic needs, and you thank me. Are all humans like this?”

“Not all.”

“Then I suppose Genji is lucky to have met one,” Hanzo held out a hand. “Here, come for a walk with me. Perhaps a tour of the gardens will pass the time while a meal is prepared.”

Outside the sky was still the same shade of grey, and Zenyatta had to wonder if any time had passed at all or if the sky always looked that way. Other demon servants seemed to avoid their presence if possible, scuttling behind corners and into the closest room. 

“You’re not worried that Genji will see me out and about?”

“No,” Hanzo said simply. “He rarely wanders the palace. And besides, he left hours ago. I’m sure he won’t be back until tomorrow at the earliest.”

Hours? Had Genji not come back home after he left Zenyatta’s tower? Or had he slept for longer than he thought? A wave of worry washed over the wizard at the realization that he was starting to lose his sense of time. How much longer until he lost more?

They came to another garden, this one full of all sorts of trees and flower hedges. “This is Lady Shimada’s garden, my mother.”

“It is very beautiful,” Zenyatta breathed, in awe of all of the colours. Nothing else in this world was quite as bright.

Hanzo reached up and grabbed an apple from the nearby tree. “Here, humans have apple in their world too, don’t they? Consider it a more proper apology.”

“I’ll consider it a gift,” Zenyatta disagreed. “From a new friend.”

He took a bite and watched the surprise on Hanzo’s face slowly dawn. The fruit was more sour than the kind back at home, but it was the first thing he had been able to choke down so far. Juice dripped down his chin and he wiped at it.

“You truly are strange,” Hanzo chuckled, a real smile peeking through. “Unfortunately, I’ll have to reject your offer of friendship for now. I prefer to know my prisoners better before labelling it as something so intimate. Perhaps another time?”

Zenyatta smiled. “Another time, then.”

But he didn’t say that. He said nothing. Zenyatta coughed and accidentally let some more juice leak from his lips and when he went to wipe it away and look at his wrist, he saw bright red.

Humans were not meant to live here.

“Zenyatta…?” Hanzo whispered, a look of horror on his face. 

As blackness swarmed over his vision, he heard his name called again.

“... Genji…?”

 

= = =

 

“... Genji?”

Genji snapped awake, jerking his head back hard enough to give himself whiplash. “Zenyatta!” he cried. “You’re awake! Are you feeling okay? How’s your stomach? Oh jeez, you sound so parched. Here, have some water. It’s okay, I’ll hold it. Is that better?”

“Yes,” Zenyatta replied, his voice less raspy now that he had been hydrated a little bit. “Ask one question at a time, please. I’m still waking up.”

“Sorry, sorry,” Genji ducked his head. “I was just… worried-- is all. How are you feeling?”

“Tired, but otherwise not too poor. Are we still…?”

“We’re at your house now, in the human world. I took you back.”

“You did? How did you find me?”

“You never summoned me, and then Udon found the scarf I gave you out in the woods. I looked and looked for you, but I realized that there weren’t many that would want to kidnap some human wizard and take them back to the demon world,” he chuckled darkly. “Only my family would be that cruel…”

“No, Genji,” Zenyatta weakly reached out and took his friend’s hand. “I met him, your brother, he’s not cruel.”

Genji squeezed his hand. “You don’t know that.”

“I like to think that I do. Besides, you are from your family, and you are not cruel either.”

The demon pressed his forehead against Zenyatta’s arm. He thought about how Hanzo had been the one to call him back in a frenzied state, or at least as frenzied as Hanzo was capable of looking. The way he refused to leave the operating room, staring down at the fragile human on the table, arms crossed and wrinkles more obvious than ever. 

After Zenyatta’s stomach had been pumped, he took Genji to the side.

_“I know you’re mad at me, you have all the reason in the world to be, but please leave the shouting match for later.”_

_Genji wanted to sock him in the face for telling him what to do, after everything he had done to his friend, after keeping it a secret. But something in the way Hanzo’s eyes lingered on the door kept him from screaming._

_“Take him home. You can yell at me when you get home. You have my permission to not attend business meetings for as long as you’re caring for him.”_

_Anyone watching the demon brother stand-off would call it a showdown with how tense the air was. There may have been a telepathic conversation happening in between their eyes, or there may not have been. No matter what, it still felt like an eternity before Genji sighed._

_“Fine. Whatever you say, anija.”_

_But before he could turn around fully and escape, a hand rested on his shoulder. Hanzo couldn’t make eye contact with him anymore after what he had almost done._

_“Tell him I’m sorry.”_

The memory of sorrow in Hanzo’s eyes was still fresh in Genji’s mind. Anger still boiled beneath the surface of Genji’s skin, but the relief that Zenyatta was safe made it cool down to a safer temperature. 

So he just sighed into Zenyatta’s arm and turned his head so he could see his face. Zenyatta was a tad paler than usual, and there were bags under his eyes, but he looked better than hours before. “Maybe there is some wisdom to your words, honourable wizard.”

Zenyatta hummed smugly and a warm smile spread over his face, making all of Genji’s worries wash away. “Coming from you, honourable demon prince, that is a great compliment.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> fuck i never wanna write that much ever again.
> 
> BUT!!! ive made a promise to u (and me) to write a chapter every week. i s2g the chapters are supposed to be around 2k each i never wanted this. next update will probably be around there if i learn to control myself (and love myself)


	5. Grocery Shopping

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Genji helps Zenyatta recover from being poisoned, but eventually they need to restock.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry about not updating last week, u would not believe the shitty week it was. phew. glad thats over lol. 
> 
> we're back to reasonable chapter length (but maybe next chapter wont be reasonable :3c) and ill try to post every monday, or sunday if its finished early and i feel good.

Genji had never been in the human realm for so long before.

It was… different. For example: the sun set and rose. He had known that before, but he had never seen it happen. The first day in the human world he had been too busy fretting over Zenyatta’s semi-conscious form to even think about the window and whatever colours were coming through it. 

But the second morning, Zenyatta had been awake and feeling better when he said “I would like to go outside and watch the sun rise.”

Genji had told him he needed to rest, but the wizard had a way with words. Soon enough, Genji was helping him outside and they were sitting on the stone step while oranges and yellows and reds exploded across the sky. 

Once Zenyatta had found out that Genji hadn’t seen either a sunrise or a sunset before, he harassed the demon until he relented and agreed to watch the evening sun. After that Genji had put a foot down and told him he needed to rest more than watch a thing that happened twice a day everyday forever. 

But still, if the demon took advantage of his lack of need to sleep to watch the sun through the window while Zenyatta was sleeping…. no one needed to know.

Also humans needed food like… all the time. Genji caught Zenyatta trying to get out of bed on the second day when he was feeling hungry, even after Genji had evoked the ‘no getting out of bed’ rule. It wasn’t truly annoying, since Zenyatta mostly slept, but Genji liked the smile that his friend got when he asked if he was hungry at silly times.

Eventually he allowed Zenyatta to walk around and get out of bed, but not for very long. Which resulted in an agreement where Genji would cook (which he didn’t know how to do) and Zenyatta would watch and instruct (which he did know how to do).

Between the cooking and reading and passing time in the little tower away from everyone and everything else in the world, it was one of the most fun weeks in Genji’s life.

“Where do you think you’re going?” Genji asked, feet shoulder-width apart and hands on his hips, looking menacing with a soup ladle in one hand and Zenyatta’s borrowed comfortable clothes on him.

“We’re out of produce,” stated Zenyatta. “So I’m going to the market.”

“You’re barely out of bed. You aren’t going anywhere.”

“I’ve been out of bed for days.”

“Because you can’t sit still.”

“We still need food, Genji.”

“I can get it.”

“Do you know where the market is?”

Genji glared at his friend.

“I can find it. Easy-peasy.”

“Do you know what we need to restock?”

“If you give me a list.”

“Could you identify the things on my list?”

Genji’s glare deepened.

“The fresh air would be good for me.”

“Fine!” Genji relented, but made sure that Zenyatta knew he didn’t like it. “But I’m holding everything.”

Zenyatta only smiled and Genji hated him. “As you wish.”

“And you have to wear more layers.”

“Of course.”

“And if you get tired, we’re heading straight back to the tower.”

“Anything you say.”

Genji huffed and stormed back into the kitchen, not wanting his friend to see how much that one simple smile could melt his frustration away.

 

Soon enough, Zenyatta and Genji were walking into the village nearest his home. Zenyatta was bundled up in several layers and a green scarf, only the area between the bridge of his nose and his eyebrows was exposed to the open air. Even after a discussion on how demons didn’t care about the temperature, Genji was also warm in his layers (although not as many) of clothes.

The town was very small, as it was still a few days travel away from the capital where the royal family sat. Travellers and traders frequently rode through on their way and gave the people ample time to purchase anything they couldn’t get locally.

Thankfully most of the snow had melted or been shovelled away from the main road and even with the chill temperature there were gaggles of people walking around and opening their doors for business. 

It was strange for the demon. The biggest building was what seemed to be the tavern, which was still only a fraction of the size of the grand hall back at the palace. In fact, Genji wouldn’t be surprised if the entire town was smaller than the Shimada family property. He could walk from one end of the town to the other faster than he could the west wing of the palace.

“We shall go to the butcher’s first,” Zenyatta said. “Hopefully they haven’t run out of what I need for dinner tonight.”

Large meats hung in front of the windows of the building with the sign ‘BUTCHERS’ on it. Upon opening the door, the heat of the interior poured out and so did the smell of preserved meat.

“Oi! It’s you again!” came a yell from behind the counter. 

The sound had come from a skinny and pale man behind the counter. He had a white apron tied around his hips, but otherwise no shirt tom cover his chest. His dirty blonde hair stuck upwards in a way that almost defied gravity. Somehow he was covered in soot and burn marks, even though the only smell of fire came from the kitchen.

“What the hell did I say about coming here again?!” the man waved a stump arm towards Zenyatta. “Your dirty wizard money ain’t wanted here!”

Genji felt a wave of anger wash through him. This fool didn’t even know Zenyatta, because if he did, he would be on his knees thankful that such a saint would bless his shitty shop by even considering stepping inside. He puffed up his chest-- but just as he was about to step forwards and show him who he messed with, Zenyatta cut him off.

The wizard, seemingly oblivious to the anger radiating from the lanky (if freakishly tall) man, went to the counter and looked over the meats on display for that day. “I see you’ve been busy smoking some of the meats again, Jamison. It smells very good. Did you change the recipe?”

If Jamison had an arm attached to the stump he was waving angrily at the wizard, no doubt he would have jabbed his face with a finger by now. “Ey, don’t change the subject! And don’t try flatterin’ or stealin’ me secrets. I know your sneaky, magick-y kind.”

“Is your partner here?” Zenyatta asked, once again blatantly ignoring the anger.

“Don’t drag him inta this--”

But before Jamison could finish yelling, a monster of a man ducked through the back door. Like Jamison, he was shirtless and wore an apron tied around his waist. Unlike Jamison, he was covered in blood splatter. With a well-used cleaver in one hand and a black executioner's mask covering his face, Genji was seriously considering bodily picking up his friend and running out the door. The beast stuck his knife into the wooden counter with a THUNK! that made Genji jump.

Then he grunted. 

“It is good to see you as well, Mr. Rutledge.”

“... ‘Told you not to call me that.”

“Apologies, it’s somewhat a bad habit.”

“‘EY!!” Jamison screamed and slammed his hand down on the counter top. “What’re you doin’, talking with his kind?”

The monster looked down at his partner. “... Money ‘s money.”

“Yeah, but, Roadie--!”

“What do you want?” Rutledge ignored the angry goblin next to him and looked at Zenyatta, who in turn flashed one of those warm smiles at him and listed off the things he needed from his list.

“... ‘S that all…?”

“Yes, thank you, Mako.”

Jamison lunged over the counter and started shouting again “I SAID WE AIN’T TAKIN’ YOUR DIRTY MONEY YOU F--” and was cut off once Mako picked him up like a furious sack of cats and carried him to the back room.

Genji and Zenyatta were left alone.

“Sooo…” Genji said dumbly. “Those guys sure were….”

“Quite a pair, but really they are harmless.” Zenyatta chuckled, covering his smile with a hand politely. “One of the highlights of any trips to town.”

There was some more barking from Jamison in the back room, but soon enough the man came back out with several paper-wrapped packages, grumbling and looking like the grumpiest toddler (if toddlers were over six feet tall). “Take yer stupid shit and gimme yer money.”

“Of course.”

With a lighter coin purse and a heavier basket for groceries, Genji and Zenyatta headed towards the next shop.

 

Together they met several other vendors who all seemed like varyingly strange characters. There was Winston, the large hairy man who ran the general store and never seemed to run out of questions for either Zenyatta or Genji. A plump woman named Mei-Ling and her business partner Satya worked in the tailor shop. The latter had said that she was just visiting from the capital, where she usually worked for the royal family as their tailor. Mei complemented Zenyatta’s hat.

The produce stall was owned by a man and a woman, the latter of which would not give her name. The man, Jesse, said that their old man was the one who really was responsible for their stock lasting this far into the cold months. He bragged that in the spring they would have enough jam to feed the entire village, and that of course he would provide a free sample to a loyal customer such as Zenyatta. He winked and his friend smacked him upside the head while Zenyatta giggled like bells and Genji turned red (though from what, he did not know. Jesse didn’t flirt with him, after all).

They dropped by the blacksmith, who treated Zenyatta with just as much kindness as the butchers. Zenyatta, later, had told Genji that his name was Torbjorn, and that he had fought in the previous war between magical and non-magical beings. The demon still didn’t forgive him for the disgusted look when their hands touched as he handed Zenyatta the list of people who wanted their weapons enchanted. 

Before heading home the two visited some more friends. Reinhardt ran the tavern and Lucio played music for the patrons. Lucio was also very buddy-buddy with the wizard, and frequently wrapped an arm around him or leaned in close when he laughed at the dry jokes that he made. 

Genji clenched and unclenched his hands. 

Finally they stopped by a small shop on the edge of town. There was no sign over the door, only dried herbs hanging from the windows and vines climbing up the walls. A small chime jingled as they opened the door.

Inside more herbs hung from the rafters and colourful bottles and ingredients lined the shelves along the walls. The strong scent of incense invaded Genji’s nose as soon as the door opened and only got stronger the farther in they went. 

At the desk, an older woman wrapped in a scarf was speaking to a stranger clad in sparkling armor. Upon looking past her customer and seeing Zenyatta, her face lit up.

“I thought I told you not to come back until you finished your vacation,” the woman nagged, even though the grin tugging at her mouth said something else.

“Am I not allowed to visit a friend whilst on vacation?”

The knight turned around and Genji felt one of those pesty shivers crawl up his spine. Why did Zenyatta have so many scary acquaintances?

“As long as you don’t try to pull anything work-related, I’ll allow it.” the old woman relented. “Fareeha, take off your helmet while you’re indoors. You’re being rude.”

“Yes mother,” a lady’s voice came from within the intimidating set of armour as it reached for its helmet. Once Genji saw her face, it was obvious that the two were related. The same nose, the same eyes. She smirked at Zenyatta.

“Long time, no see.”

“Indeed. I’ve heard that congratulations are in order, Guard Captain.”

The knight’s cheeks turned darker and she rubbed the back of her neck. “Ah, not yet. The ceremony will be on the first of spring. Doesn’t stop mother from telling everyone with ears, though.”

“That is a very strange way of saying ‘thank you, mother’.”

Zenyatta laughed, and even though Genji only knew the bare minimum of context, he found himself getting swept away in the laughter as well.

The demon watched his friend banter some more with his own friends. The old woman, whose name was Ana, haggled with Zenyatta while he was buying more spices and herbs. Fareeha giggled to the side as her mother fussed over him once she found out he had been ill, and then flushed when Ana’s attention was moved back onto her.

It sort of reminded Genji of his own mother, and when he and Hanzo were younger.

He continued to daydream as they left and began to head back home. “What are you thinking of, Genji?”

“My family, and my brother.”

Zenyatta hummed thoughtfully. “I have a brother of my own, you know.”

From then on, the back to the tower was filled with smiles and stories comparing their respective siblings. Genji told of when he was young and full of mischief, and learned how Zenyatta was just as troublesome when he was smaller.

“We’ve always shaved our heads,” he said. “But I wanted to see what Mondatta’s looked like when it grew out. So in the night, I snuck into his room, and used a poultice on his scalp. I didn’t think it worked, as the next morning he was still bald.”

Zenyatta giggled and forced himself to finish the story “It was a week later that I woke up to screaming and rushed in to find my brother with bright blue hair down to his knees.”

Genji gaped and then laughed, his chest lurching with the sudden fondness for his friend. He could see the image of his younger self perfectly: bright eyes, dark skin, eyes that closed when he smiled from ear to ear, and a laugh that would make an imp fear for its safety.

“But you’re so sweet!” Genji teased, batting his eyes. “You wear baggy clothes and large hats while you bake pastries and make potions for sick children all day long! You even make candies for tricky snake demons!”

Zenyatta snorted and shushed him as Genji waxed poetic about his ‘pureness’ and ‘innocence’. “Poor Zenyatta!” he wailed dramatically. “Kidnapped by evil demons on a weekly basis! Tainting his good nature!”

“On the contrary, honourable demon prince,” the witch giggled behind his hand. “You only bring out the best in me.”

Genji sputtered, which made his friend laugh louder, filling the forest with the sound of wind chimes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

= = =

 

“Are you sure you have enough water?”

“Yes. I’ll be stopping in the next town to refill. I would rather travel light.”

“Tell me again why you won’t let me come?”

“Because I’ll be fine. Really. No one knows about this trip save you and his majesty.”

“How do you know?”

“Alexander….”

“.... I just don’t like the idea of you going alone. You’re a prime target out there.”

“I’m not powerless, you know.”

“I do know. It’s one of the larger reasons why you're a target.”

“I’ll be fine, really. Besides, on the way back I won’t be alone.”

“... Let me check your ration supply again--”

“Alexander--”

“Just once more, and then I’ll let you go.”

“....”

“....”

“Thank you, my friend.”

“You can thank me by staying safe and not giving me any more grey hairs.”

“I will.”

“Alright. You’re good to go. Safe journey, Mondatta.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> >:3c


	6. Mondatta

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zenyatta gets a late-night visitor during dinner.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ohhhh my god 4.7k words im gonna lay down and die RIP

“Ah.”

Zenyatta stood just outside his summoning circle, which was full of several demons that he did not summon. At that moment he felt a tad unprepared and underdressed. A worn out apron was the only thing covering his chest along with the large amount of flour that had spilled on him and his low-hanging pants. In fact, he wasn’t wearing his normal indoor slippers and he had been putting off shaving his head, so there was enough dark hair to show. 

Realizing his state of dress, he blushed.

“I… was not expecting so many guests.”

In the circle stood Hanzo, who was wearing a formal-looking men’s yukata complete with a matching robe. Genji popped out from behind his brother and clapped his hands together, bowing his head deeply. “I’m sorry! He wouldn’t stop bugging me about coming along, and he threatened to confiscate any food I brought home!”

Hanzo ignored Genji, “Apologies for coming uninvited. However, I had to visit.”

The older brother stepped forwards and held eye contact with Zenyatta, his gaze stone cold and hard, before going down onto his knees and touching his head to the floor in a bow.

“I… I almost killed you, and it haunts me constantly. I was a fool, I knew nothing of humans, and I stole you into a realm that was poisoning you. For all of this I am deeply sorry.”

Zenyatta shook off his stunned expression and waved his hands “You’re forgiven! You have been for some time, Hanzo! Please-- get up off the floor-- I haven’t swept in weeks. I know that you didn’t do it on purpose--”

“Anija, stop being so dramatic!” Genji grabbed Hanzo’s arm and yanked him upwards. “I already told him you were sorry, it’s fine!”

Hanzo blinked at the two slowly. “But… you were bedridden for more than a week…”

At that, Genji looked sheepish. “Well, err…”

“I was able to leave bed within a few days,” Zenyatta admitted for him. “Genji stayed longer to monitor my condition.”

Hanzo glared at his brother, making him shrink even smaller. “To monitor your condition, hmm?”

Before Genji could make a comeback, a garden snake-sized dragon wiggled its way free of Genji’s shirt and chirped. 

“Udon!” Zenyatta clapped his hands together, chuckling as the dragon flew into his arms and wriggled into every nook and cranny of his neck and arms that it could. Eventually he caught it, now also covered in flour, and held it up to his face. Udon sniffed him and stuck its tongue out to taste his nose, making Zenyatta smile.

Both of the demons watched the scene unfold in front of them, one of them pinker than the other. Hanzo leaned over towards Genji, “Genji, does he know that your dragon is technically a part of y--”

“Okay! That’s enough!” Genji announced obnoxiously and swiped up his noodly familiar. “Hanzo, your business is done here, you can go home now. Bye-bye!”

“Oh, you don’t have to leave,” Zenyatta said. “I was just making dinner. I’d be happy to make enough for the three-- or four of us.”

Hanzo gave his brother a smug look and Genji wanted to kick him.

“That’s actually what I was using the summoning circle for. I accidentally dropped the bag of flour while I was looking for my ingredients, and I was hoping for some help in cleaning it up.”

Udon chirped and escaped his master’s clutches, flying back towards his favourite person in the room and volunteering itself. Genji glared at it, too.

“Excellent!” Zenyatta clapped his hands together. “In fact, the more hands in the kitchen the better. I’m sure I can think of tasks for all of you.”

 

= = =

 

Hanzo’s eyes widened, hand frozen where it was, spoon in his mouth. Genji snorted and Zenyatta only smiled. “This is… this is delicious!” said Hanzo, mouth half full of curry.

“I’m so glad you think so!”

Genji leaned over “Told you.”

Udon slurped up its teacup-share of the meal and ignored everything else.

“I never knew that the food in the human world was so…” Hanzo seemed to be unable to describe it.

Zenyatta waved it off “You can tell me after you finish your meal. There is no rush.”

During the meal, Hanzo’s expressions would change with every bite of his food. Genji would smirk and chuckle at his brother, earning a grimace and a jab in the ribs, while Zenyatta would smile into his spoon whilst watching them. Watching the two demons caused a wave of relief to wash over him. After the trip into the demon realm, Zenyatta was afraid that Genji would resent his brother.

Watching them play with their food and with each other set his heart at ease.

And yet also it made his heart feel heavy. Truly, Zenyatta was spoiled with dinners as of late that had been filled with good company. He had almost forgotten the feeling.

The feeling of a warm and body-filled dining room, cheeks filled with hot food tugged into an ear-to-ear smile, utensils used as conductor batons in the symphony of a grand story told. Empty bowls and plates scattered on the table, but still no one left their seats, as they were filling themselves with something other than food.

Zenyatta had almost forgotten why he loved cooking so much.

“He was tall, brother, taller than the doorways at home!” Genji waved his spoon in the air, trying to describe one of the many human friends they had met the other day.

“Don’t exaggerate, Genji, it’s unbecoming of you. Humans cannot grow that large.”

“But it’s true! You should have seen him!”

The demon princes bickered and bantered back and forth, oblivious to the gentle knocking at Zenyatta’s front door. Udon’s tiny ears perked up and it automatically followed the wizard as he went to answer the door. 

 

The open door let in a gust of frigid air and stale snowflakes from outside, piercing through Zenyatta’s thick robes as if they weren’t even there. A large purple hat obstructed the visitor’s face from the light above the doorway and cast a menacing shadow over them.

But still, Zenyatta would know his brother anywhere.

“... Mondatta?”

The wizard in the doorway tipped his hat upwards and the light from indoors finally revealed his beaming smile and chill-kissed cheeks. “I’m home, little brother.”

Both brother lunged forwards into a tight embrace, Zenyatta burying his face into Mondatta’s winter cloak. “I… I wasn’t expecting a visit! Goodness, the floors are-- and there’s dust-- and the kitchen is a mess--”

“Shh, shh,” Mondatta held his smaller brother tighter. “It’s perfectly fine, Zenyatta. I did not come back to see the house. I came back to see you.”

The cold was still blowing its way in around their entwined bodies and heat still escaped past them into the dark night; however, neither moved. _If only,_ Zenyatta thought, _if only time could stop at this very moment._ His brother was home after over a year and his kitchen was filled with dear friends and warm food. 

Perhaps he was dreaming.

A small chirp roused Zenyatta from his musing. He dug his head out from his brother’s robes and looked down at his feet where a very curious and somewhat shy demon lay. It sniffed at the unfamiliar shoes that were attached to Mondatta, ears twitching and whiskers flicking.

“Oh,” Mondatta said. “You… have a demon summoned. Were you in the middle of cleaning?”

Zenyatta chuckled and beckoned the green dragon up to wrap around his neck like a scarf. “No, no. I was only having dinner. Come in from the cold, we have dallied in the doorway long enough. Here, let me take your coat and your pack. What possessed you to make the trip here in the middle of winter?”

Zenyatta waited for a response while hanging up the cloak and patting off the frost-bitten backpack, but found that he heard none. Confused, he stood straight and turned around from his chore to look at his brother.

There was no expression on his face. He had turned into a stone statue. Mondatta’s smile had been wiped clean of his face, as if it had never been there, and those bright blue eyes of his were almost navy as he stared at Zenyatta. No, not at Zenyatta. At his neck and the tiny green dragon wrapped around it.

“... Brother?”

The tension in the air broke and Mondatta regained his wits. “Did you say something? I apologize, I was… daydreaming.”

“Perhaps the trip was more tiresome than I imagined. Come with me to your old bedroom, everything is still made. You can rest and regain your strength.”

“I… I think that would be for the…” Mondatta petered off as laughter from the dining room echoed into the foyer. “Is someone here?”

“Yes. My friend Genji and his brother. I told you about him over the--” Udon squawked as Zenyatta was cut off, shoved aside by his older brother as he tore past him into the dining room.

Hanzo and Genji stopped laughing when Mondatta barged into the room, his smaller brother on his heels, but when he saw the two demons he stood still and silent.

“Genji, Hanzo, this is my brother, Mondatta,” Zenyatta piped up, unsure of what to do with his brother acting so strangely. “He’s visiting from the capital. He is a professor of magical studies there.”

“I can see the resemblance,” Hanzo said. “It is an honour to meet you.”

“Zenyatta talks about you all the time,” Genji said smugly. 

Mondatta said nothing and the silence settled on the room heavier and heavier with each passing moment. Hanzo’s eyes narrowed and Genji looked at Zenyatta with confusion before the wizard gathered his wits enough to grab his brother’s arm and squeeze.

But Mondatta did not snap out of his thoughts like before. His stony eyes bore holes into the two demons at the table. With every second, their demonic features became more and more obvious to Zenyatta, who had never seemed to notice it before. The unnaturally bright eyes, and unworldly beauty, not to mention how their auras oozed magical power that no human could ever hope of possessing. 

“Zenyatta,” Mondatta finally broke the silence. “You were right. I find myself exhausted from the travel here. I can make my own way back to my rooms. Would you mind… escorting your guests out?”

“Ah, yes…” Zenyatta trailed off, his brother already gone.

Genji took a step forward, the urge to hold his friend’s hand and comfort him roaring inside his head, but Hanzo grabbed his arm and held him. “Thank you for the meal, Zenyatta. It was wonderful.”

“Oh, it was my pleasure… I apologize for the sudden end to our night, I don’t know what’s gotten into my brother…”

“It is of no concern. As payment, let me assist in cleaning up the mess we made.”

“You don’t have to--” But Hanzo raised his hand nonetheless, and the dishes from the table and the kitchen floated into the air and cleaned themselves. In less than the time it took to take a deep breath, the dining room and cooking area was clean as a whistle and good as new. 

Silence still hung over the party of four as they made their way back up to the summoning room. Udon whined when its favourite person unwrapped it from his neck and placed it back into Genji’s care.

“See you later, Zen,” Genji smiled.

“Goodnight. You are always welcome here.”

But Hanzo’s eyes glanced behind Zenyatta into the doorway that led back into the tower, his gaze elsewhere. “We’ll see.”

And the circle swallowed them.

 

 

Zenyatta awoke in his own bed, sleep still in his eyes and a weight still on his heart. After seeing his friends home, he had stopped by his brother’s room to check up on him. Mondatta had not answered even when he knocked and called him. Perhaps he was truly tired from the trip back home all the way from the capital. Tired enough to zone out in the middle of a conversation, tired enough to not greet guests properly, tired enough not to answer the door.

The wizard heaved himself out of bed. Sleep called to him still, even as the late-morning light streamed in through his small window. Perhaps he could stay for just a while longer. Perhaps rest would settle his anxieties about his brother downstairs.

Perhaps.

Still Zenyatta pulled on some simple robes appropriate for a slow morning and slipped on his indoor slippers. While he splashed water on his face he went over what he could make for breakfast. Mondatta would appreciate his favourite breakfast meal after such a long trip and such a strange welcome home. Zenyatta could slice up the bananas and mangoes that he bought last time he visited the markets and boil some tea.

But as he descended the stairs, Zenyatta could smell food already being prepared in the kitchen. Had Mondatta woken up before him?

Zenyatta was greeted by a sight he had sorely missed, but the bite of nostalgia had faded until this point. Mondatta hummed and shuffled around the kitchen, dancing from the tea kettle to the large pot on the stove, making sure that nothing was boiling over.

“Brother?” Zenyatta asked hesitantly.

Mondatta whipped around and Zenyatta felt his chest release the tension it had been holding as he caught sight of that familiar smile. Mondatta had always had more laugh lines than his little brother, but they seemed even more in number now after over a year apart. What else had changed while he was gone?

“Zenyatta, you’re awake! I was going to surprise you with breakfast in bed, but I suppose this is safer than carrying hot soup all the way up the tower. Come now, sit down. The roti is ready, I am only adding the final touches to the soup.”

Almost in a daze, Zenyatta did as he was told. Was this a dream? He had had so many dreams just like this after Mondatta left for the capital so long ago.

“Did you sleep well, little brother?”

“Ah, yes…”

“Excellent. Dreams are wonderful windows to the unconscious mind, but peaceful nights are still irreplaceable. Ah-ah! Don’t speak. The food is ready, so eat.”

Zenyatta stared at the sight of his brother sitting at the table, at his spot, dipping his roti into vegetable soup, as if he had never been gone. It struck him dumb. He watched the scene in front of him the same way a critic would stare at art until his brother looked up and gestured towards his food.

It tasted the same as it always had.

“Mondatta,” Zenyatta put down his spoon, food untouched. “Why are you here?”

“What do you mean? I am here to visit you.”

“The last time we spoke, you said that you would not be able to visit until autumn.”

“Things changed. I made time for you, as I should have long ago.”

“Is midterm season not in full effect?”

“My students get off easy with a substitute.”

“Mondatta, you can’t push important work off just--”

“Zenyatta.”

The wizard went silent. Mondatta put down his food and laced his fingers together. “I… may have been wrong before. I put work before family, when you are the only family I have left. That was unfair of me. I want to right my wrongs, as I can see now that I have neglected you by leaving you all the way out here, all alone.”

Zenyatta’s face softened. “Oh, my brother. I am not alone, and I do not resent you. I understand fully the importance of your work and I am proud of you every day. Besides, making friends is no chore for me. I know everyone in the village, and I have even made new friends outside of it. You need not worry.”

“Yet, somehow I do nonetheless.”

Mondatta reached across the table and they entwined their hands together.

“You always see right through me, my darling brother. I must confess that I did come here with an ulterior motive…” he took a deep breath. “... I want you to come back with me. Come to the capital.”

Zenyatta was struck silent. “Mondatta…”

“I have already spoken with the other staff. You would make an excellent teacher, an even better councillor. The college needs more magical faculty, our classes grow larger every day. You don’t need to be alone all the way out here anymore, we can live together again.”

“I… Brother, I can’t just…”

“Please,” Mondatta squeezed his hand desperately. “Please, just think about it. I will be here for five nights. There’s no need to decide this very second. Just… think about it- please.”

Zenyatta looked up from their clasped hands and into his brother’s eyes. His heart ached with the sadness he could feel pouring from Mondatta, but at the same time, he had a life here in this tiny village. He had a job, friends, companions. He had Genji.

“I will think about it.”

 

= = =

 

The second day Mondatta was there, the two of them went hunting for ingredients in the deepest part of the forest together. It was only safe with at least a pair of magical users with all of the dark creatures and trickster plants. Zenyatta used to know the trails like the back of his hand, but a lot had changed in the time Mondatta was gone. There were more wolves, but fewer bears. The mushroom patches had moved, along with the night blossoms. 

It had been too long since Zenyatta had black vine in his pantry. The way back to the tower was filled with a bright sense of accomplishment and excitement for future brewing.

 

The third day Mondatta was there, they took a trip into the village to say hello and restock on rations for his way home. Everyone was overjoyed to see their old friend. Even the blacksmith looked less grumpy than usual when Mondatta walked into the shop and asked him how the business was. 

“I think they like you,” Zenyatta said, arms full of free samples from their friends. Mondatta’s cheeks turned pink.

 

The fourth day Mondatta was there, they spent it indoors. Mondatta had stolen his way into Zenyatta’s room in the late morning and there they sat until the sun was getting close to the mountains, talking of nothing and everything all at once. After dinner they baked together-- which was interrupted when Mondatta smeared icing on his little brother’s forehead and began a food fight. 

The cupcakes were delicious.

 

The fifth day Mondatta was there, Zenyatta helped Mondatta pack for the trip back. He would need to begin walking towards the next town before daylight if he wanted to find a place to stay before dark. They still bantered and ate together, but the air was weighed down by the impending end to everything.

Zenyatta almost didn’t want it to end. 

“Oh, goodness,” he gasped. “I completely forgot to fetch water for you…”

“It’s fine, I’ll grab some tomorrow morning when I leave.”

“The town well is in the opposite direction of where you need to go. I can get it right now.”

Mondatta glanced out the window. “Brother, it’s almost dark. It’s too late now.”

“I don’t need to go out to get you water,” Zenyatta smiled mischievously and stood from his place at the table where they had spread out Mondatta’s things. However, as he reached for the door to the summoning room, the screech of a wooden chair against stone floor stopped him.

“Wait!!” Mondatta called. “It’s fine-- we can go out together. I’ll get my cloak.”

“No, no. Stay right there. I’ll just summon some help and neither of us will have to leave.”

“Wait--” Mondatta leapt forwards and grabbed Zenyatta’s wrist. “Zenyatta, wait.”

Dread suddenly fell over Zenyatta as he stood in the foyer, one hand on the door knob and one hand being gripped by his brother. It was the dread that had nagged at the back of his mind the night he had arrived, the dread that knocked on his head as Mondatta glared knives into his friends at the dining table. It made him want to throw up.

“We can… we’ll go out together. You don’t need to summon anything. Besides, it will give us another opportunity to spend time together before I leave. We can--”

“Mondatta. Why did you come here?”

Zenyatta’s voice cut through his brother’s like a hot knife.

“... Because I missed you, and it had been too long since--”

“Tell me the real reason.”

Mondatta cut short again.

“... I am worried about you, brother. There I was, spending time in the capital, meeting with the king’s advisors, doing what any wizard could only dream of… But I left you behind here, in the middle of nowhere. All alone... almost an hour away from any other human beings… I could only blame myself for the fact that you were manipulated by demons--”

“Manipulated?” Zenyatta yanked his hand away from his brother’s grip. “They are my friends.”

“They made you think that, Zenyatta! They are demons! Powerful ones, at that. No matter how simple or innocent your request for them may have been, they will take whatever they want as a reward, including your free will.”

“They aren’t-- Genji isn’t like that!”

“Your ‘friend’, Genji, is a very powerful demon. You must have felt it yourself, the power that oozes off of them. Weak demons-- ‘normal’ demons-- don’t look like humans. Not like them. The only way one might summon something that powerful is with a sacri--”

“You think--” Zenyatta choked. “You think that I… killed someone to summon him?”

“It is only the way things work, Zenyatta! I am not saying that you did, but the magical community knows of no other way that something that old and powerful could come through to our side!”

Zenyatta’s knuckles turned white on the door handle, his hands shaking and his eyes stinging.

“I will tell you the truth, brother,” he said with a stone cold tone. “I did not summon Genji. I was calling something else and he came through all on his own. You are right, I can’t summon him all on my own, all I can do is call for him with the circle. Every time he comes through I pay him with snacks and sweets and he helps me with chores.

“The truth is that you have been away for over a year, only answering the mirror once every blue moon, and then you come back here and think that you know everything about my life. My life that I built without you because you went off to do better things, and I stayed behind to make potions for the town I grew up next to. We agreed on this long ago. 

“The truth is that I am a full grown adult, and my older brother does not have the privilege to come sprinting back home when he thinks that his little brother is playing with magic he does not understand. I am just as competent as you and perfectly able to reduce any demon that tries to ‘manipulate’ me into nothing more than ashes.”

Zenyatta took a deep breath and then let it all out. His limbs and his chest ached as if he had just finished running a marathon, not to mention how exhausted his heart felt from the tirade. Mondatta had stopped looking at him around halfway through and was now staring at the ground with shame. Zenyatta wanted to lunge forward and embrace him, to apologize for what he said, but he didn’t.

“Zenyatta…” Mondatta said quietly. “You’re right-- more than right… I have no right to say what I said to you. To accuse you of killing someone-- I… there are no words that can convey how wrong I am. I know my baby brother, I know you, and I know you would never do such a thing. After hearing about the demon-- about Genji-- I was consumed with worry and guilt. I should have trusted you. I should have--”

Then Zenyatta’s will broke and he yanked the taller man into an embrace. “Your apology is accepted, there is no more need to reprimand yourself. I forgive you.”

He could feel Mondatta’s knees shake as they lowered to the floor, their hug unbroken. There they held onto one another for a minute, and then five, and then more. _Just a little longer,_ both of them thought, _and then I’ll pull away._

But time stops for no man. So eventually they were forced to end the embrace if they wanted to finish packing before bed. 

“I’m truly sorry,” Mondatta said once more. “Let me finish cleaning the kitchen, you at least deserve that.”

Soon enough the familiar sound of dishes clinking against one another could be heard from past the dining room, and Zenyatta was left alone to put everything near the door for morning. It took only one trip, as both bags were packed lightly, and Zenyatta had a moment to sigh to himself.

But still, his brother needed to refill his canteen for the trip back.

He opened the door to the attic and ascended the stairs all the way up. The door at the top was still slightly ajar from days ago when he had bidden his friends farewell. Zenyatta would need to call them again soon after his brother had left. He needed to tell Genji about what had happened.

But the attic was empty.

The chalk lines were erased, the candles were plucked, and all of the reference books had disappeared. Not even a fine layer of dust lay on top of the empty stone floor that was left over.

“Zenyatta!” Mondatta called from the stairwell, his footsteps quick. “Zenyatta, wait!”

But it was too late. He had seen what Mondatta had done to his summoning room.

“I can explain, please,” he begged. “come back to the foyer…”

“What… what happened? What did you do with my equipment, my books?”

Mondatta said nothing.

“Mondatta.”

“I… destroyed it. All of it.”

“You… why…?”

“I had thought you under the demon’s control. You might summon it again, let it worm its way into your mind. I couldn’t trust--”

“That’s right,” Zenyatta said, almost in a daze. “You couldn’t trust me.”

“But it’s fine now. You don’t need to worry about them, you can just say goodbye to your normal friends in town and come back with me. Back to the capital. We can live together again, and…”

“I’m sorry, Mondatta. I won’t be coming with you.”

Mondatta sucked in a breath. “Are… are you sure, brother? Why not think just a little longer--”

“I’m afraid I won’t be able to do that. I need to redraw the summoning circle and all of my diagrams from memory, since my reference material is gone. Then tomorrow morning I need to go back into town and buy more candles and chalk. If I don’t do it right, it won’t work, and I’ll summon nothing.”

“But--”

“Genji is my very dear friend,” Zenyatta whipped around to glare at his brother, eyes wet with unshed tears. “I care for him, more than you could ever imagine. I finally made a friend as close to me as my own brother. You took the only way to contact him away.”

With a wave of his hand, the door slammed in Mondatta’s face and locked.

“Go to bed, Mondatta. The road ahead is long, and you’ll need your rest for the trip back to the capital.”

Using his magic, Zenyatta sketched out notes on what he remembered of the summoning circle. After he had drawn around half a dozen runes, the sound of feet padding back down the stairs could be heard.

 

When the first signs of pink and purple touched the sky in the early morning, Zenyatta could hear the front door downstairs open and close. Finally he unlocked the attic door and descended into the foyer. Mondatta’s cloak was gone and so were his bags. The room he had stayed in was neat and the bed was perfectly made. Even the kitchen was spotless of any evidence that they had had a food fight only a day ago. It could have almost been a dream that Mondatta had come back at all.

But upon re entering the attic room and being faced with how empty it was, Zenyatta knew that it was no dream.

No matter how much he wished it to be true.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> is this better than mondatta being assassinated?


	7. My Good Friend

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Genji is confronted by his brother after spending two weeks shirking off duties and waiting to be summoned.
> 
> Zenyatta struggles to redraw the circle and get his friend back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> who wants fluff??????

“Genji.”

Genji groaned into his pillow.

“Get up.”

The sheets were yanked off of Genji and he hissed at the blinding light burning through his eyelids. “Fuck off, Hanzo.”

“There’s a meeting in five minutes. Get up.”

“I don’t care.”

“You don’t even need sleep, Genji.”

“I said I don’t care, go away.”

Genji yelped as a hand gripped his ankle and pulled him right off of the mattress. That, combined with his head hitting the floor, woke up him instantly. “Shit! Fine, I’m awake!”

“Good. Get dressed, father wants us both in the meeting room now.”

“Wait, that’s what this is about? Some shitty meeting?”

“Yes. I just said this.”

“I already said I’m not doing anything that has to do with those old farts.”

Hanzo rolled his eyes. “Oh? And you have something better to do?”

“Yeah!”

“Like what? Wait for your human to summon you?”

Genji opened his mouth and then closed it with a clack of his teeth, glaring daggers at his brother.

“That’s what I thought.”

“Yeah, well, you wouldn’t understand since you don’t have any friends.”

Hanzo bristled and crossed his arms. Immediately Genji regretted what he said and his face fell.

“Wait, Hanzo, I didn’t--”

 

“You didn’t think before you opened your mouth? As usual? I guessed as much. But to be fair, I’m not the one who was abandoned by the object of my affections.”

Genji turned red in embarrassment and anger. “That’s-- that’s not what happened!”

“It’s been two weeks without any contact whatsoever.”

“He’s probably busy!”

“You saw the look his brother gave us, Genji. We’re just demons to them. I’m sure he’s talked Zenyatta out of his silly obsession with summoning us.”

“You’re wrong! He’s my friend!”

“Truly? Is he?”

Genji growled “I know him, I believe in him. He wouldn’t just-- abandon me.”

Hanzo watched his brother, inspected him and the anger in his face, and then his eyes widened. “I’ve never seen you get so angry over a ‘friend’ before.”

“That’s because Zenyatta is special.”

“Oh, is that so? Just how special?”

“He’s--” Genji stopped, knowing the train of thought his brother was riding. “It’s not what you think.”

“It looks like it is.”

“I’m not sleeping with him.”

Hanzo’s eyes narrowed. “But you want to.”

“N-no! I don’t, he’s just my friend!”

“A friend that you spend two weeks moping over?”

“Yes!!”

Hanzo looked over his red-faced brother and sighed, his shoulders slumping. “Genji.”

“What?”

“I don’t want you to get hurt.”

Genji’s face flushed even deeper. “I-I told you, we’re not like that--”

“Maybe not,” Hanzo continued. “But nonetheless, you care for the human. They’re not like us. They’re weaker, they die easily and quickly. What feels like nothing to you could be their entire lifespan. Even if you never fight or quarrel or disagree once, he will leave you.”

The younger demon prince stared at his brother. Where had this come from? A second ago they were yelling at each other and now… now Hanzo was looking at him with something almost akin to pity in his eyes. His gut lurched, thinking of what it could mean if Hanzo was right.

“I… I don’t--”

 

And then he felt it. The tug of magic at the edge of his mind, the call of a summoning circle in the human world. Immediately his face lit up and he stood, almost knocking his brother over.

“He’s summoning me! See?! I told you! I told you he wouldn’t forget about me!” Genji’s smile stretched all the way across his face from one ear to the other, his eyes almost slits in his glee. He allowed the magic to pull him through the barrier that separated the human and demon realms, making sure to flip Hanzo a rude gesture before he vanished.

“Suck it!”

Then Hanzo was left alone in his little brother’s room. He stared at the empty space where Genji once stood and let the grin that was teasing him tug across his lips. 

“Oh, Genji,” he sighed. “Never change.”

 

= = =

 

The first thing Genji saw when he appeared was Zenyatta, on his knees, looking up at him with wide eyes and an open mouth. There were dark circles under his eyes and stubble on his face that matched his unshaved head. Zenyatta dropped the piece of chalk in his hands, his hands stained white.

The more he looked around, the more an uneasy feeling sunk into Genji’s bones. The room wasn’t the same as it was the last time he was there. The books were gone, replaced with messy piles of well-used paper. The candles sat in puddles of wax, illuminating how messy the summoning circle’s lines were. It looked as if a storm had passed through.

“What--”

“It worked,” Zenyatta murmured. “It finally worked.”

“Zenyatta, what…?” Genji shook his head. “What happened?”

“I had to redraw the circle on my own, without my books. My brother, Mondatta, he… got rid of any reference material I had.”

“Your brother?! Why would he do that?!”

“I forgive him…” Zenyatta continued, almost in a daze. “I forgive him, anyways. Irrationality clouded his judgement but even so, he cares for me. He worries for me. Even miles away in the capital, surrounded by royalty and geniuses, I’m still important enough to him to run all the way here.”

“Zenyatta, you don’t need to…” Genji cupped his hand over his friend’s face but almost yanked it back, surprised by how overheated his skin was. “Shit! Your skin is burning up!”

“Two weeks…” he mumbled. “I’ve been trying to call you for two weeks, and it finally worked. You’re here. You came back.”

“Of course I did, stupid,” Genji shook his head. “We’re friends. Come on, stand up. Let’s get you somewhere comfortable. I think you’re sick.”

Zenyatta only nodded and let himself be pulled up. He swayed dangerously when he stood and Genji quickly caught him around the waist, murmuring directions as he guided them both down the stairs.

The wizard’s bed was unmade and note paper littered the floor. Genji stepped carefully and helped his friend into the bed. Zenyatta was compliant and malleable, almost like some kind of life-sized doll, and it terrified the demon. Was this what all human illnesses were like?

“I’m sorry, Genji,” Zenyatta coughed. “I… I didn’t think of anything to summon you for. I don’t even have any food to repay you. I just needed to… to see you.”

“It’s ok. I can just take care of you, no deals or payment or anything. Cause we’re friends, right? Friends help each other out.”

Zenyatta looked at Genji and he felt the air get sucked from his lungs. A soft, warm smile was on his face and his tired eyes crinkled at the edges. For all Genji knew, Zenyatta could be glowing and a ray of light could be shining upon him from the heavens and it would look the exact same.

_That smile is for me._

“Oh, Genji,” Zenyatta reached up and held Genji’s face with a hand. “I’m so lucky. What did I ever do to deserve you?”

Genji’s heart soared.

 

After putting the wizard to bed properly and talking with him until he drifted off, Genji went to the kitchen to find something appropriate for Zenyatta to eat. Upon entering the kitchen, he realized that he knew little to nothing about what would be considered a healthy food. Sure, he had spent a week with the wizard while he was recovering from poison, but most of the time Zenyatta was the one who cooked.

Playing it safe, he grabbed the few fruits that were left over in the under-stocked kitchen and hurried back to Zenyatta’s room. However, when he passed the workshop, he heard the soft sound of bells from inside. With his immediate instinct screaming _intruder_ he burst open the door.

But the room was empty. There wasn’t even a window for someone to get inside. Instead a large mirror sat against the wall, covered in a white bedsheet, glowing with each chime of the bell. A foot crossed the threshold as his curiosity almost overcame him-- but Genji reared himself in. It would be stupid to mess with anything in a wizard’s workshop. He might accidentally set the entire tower on fire.

Zenyatta was still asleep when Genji came back, so he left the food on the dresser and waited. Demons did not need sleep, so it was perfect for him to keep watch. He would never tire or need to rest, he could just make sure that his friend was safe.

Normally he would be worried about getting bored, but as he looked upon Zenyatta’s peaceful and flushed face, somehow he knew he’d be fine.

 

It was around one or two hours later that Zenyatta started becoming restless in his sleep. He was covered in sweat, and he kept brushing off the cold cloth that Genji had gotten for his head. _He needs sleep, don’t bother him_ Genji kept telling himself.

But when Zenyatta started whimpering, he had to wake him.

“Zenyatta, are you okay?” Genji asked with a worried voice.

It took a moment for the wizard to reorient himself, and even after he did, he looked far off somewhere else. “Genji? When did you get here?”

The demon felt his stomach fall through. “I’ve been here this entire time.”

The smile that came over Zenyatta made Genji’s inner demon thirst to possess it. “Oh, I’m so glad. I was so worried that I’d never see you again. It was killing me.”

“You worked yourself sick.”

“I have? Ah, you’re right.”

“What do I do? I’ve never taken care of a human before.”

“You’re making me feel better just by being here, Genji.”

Genji flushed. “I mean-- what else can I do? Are you hungry? Tired?”

“I’m sore at the moment, but I am not worried. You are so clever and intelligent, Genji, you’ll do fine.” Then a look crosses his face. “But I haven’t anything to repay you with… I need to make something--”

Genji pushes him back down onto the bed. “No, you’re not getting up. You need rest.”

“Then perhaps you could keep me company? I don’t feel like sleeping right now.”

“Of course.”

 

They spend the time talking about what happened while they were apart. 

Genji tells of sneaking into the kitchens at his home and stealing extra treats for Udon, since Udon was banned from there. He doesn’t mention how the rest of his days were spent waiting and worrying over Zenyatta.

Zenyatta tells another story from his childhood. “We had to hide our magical ability from the town, since the last time someone had found out we were run out. Mondatta and I had to buy all of our supplies and groceries at once, lest we were suspected of gathering potion materials. In the end, they did not care, but we were to not know for another few years.”

He spoke of when he was too young to understand the value of money and had plucked an apple off of the fruit stall without paying for it. In the end, since he was watching the stall, the owner’s son decided to eat fruit with him. They had both gotten chewed out afterwards.

It was on the third story that Zenyatta started to act strangely. In the middle of describing his first time in the deep woods, his words began to peter off. Genji said his name and he snapped back to reality. “I’m sorry, where was I?”

But it happened more often after that. Soon it was every other minute. Then Zenyatta started speaking nonsense, words that didn’t even go together, and Genji’s worry increased tenfold. 

“You’re not making any sense…” Genji mumbled. “Just-- just rest, okay?”

 

The demon prince would take jumbled nonsense over what came next. Zenyatta slept for only a few minutes before the violent shivering and whimpers started. “It hurts… it hurts…” Zenyatta whined over and over again, each time the words cut deeper into Genji’s heart. His forehead was even hotter than before, and Genji had to keep the wet cloth cool by magic or else it would warm up within moments.

“Zenyatta, what do I do? What’s wrong with you?” he whispered. 

Zenyatta was almost unaware of Genji’s presence.

“I wish I could ask you… you know everything. You would know what to do.”

 

The shivering and the whimpers and the coughing fits did not stop after almost an hour. Genji had had to readjust the blankets several times after Zenyatta kicked them off. He pushed away any food put in front of him and had choked on any water Genji offered. 

Genji wondered if his friend was dying.

Hanzo’s words haunted him, echoing in his mind over and over and over again. 

_’They’re not like us. They’re weaker, they die easily and quickly. What feels like nothing to you could be their entire lifespan.’_

“Zenyatta,” Genji shook his friend in a panicked attempt to rouse him from his hallucinations. “Zenyatta!”

The wizard whines and, surprisingly enough, his eyes open and focus on the demon holding him. “Genji? You’re here?”

“Fuck, shit-- Listen, make a deal with me. I can-- I can bind myself to you. We can share my energy-- or something. Fuck! Just… just don’t die. Don’t die.”

“Oh, Genji,” Zenyatta reached up and held his best friend’s face. “Why would I ever want to tie such a free soul down to this mortal plane?”

Genji choked.

He ran.

Inside the workshop, there had to be something-- some kind of potion that would make Zenyatta better. But nothing was labelled. Potions of all differents shapes, sizes, and colours decorated the shelves and Genji didn’t know what any of them did.

And then the mirror started jingling again.

It was the only thing that was activated in the room. It couldn’t hurt if he yanked off the sheet and touched the polished surface.

Mondatta appeared in the mirror, looking tired and down at the floor.

“Hello?” Genji said weakly. Mondatta’s head shot up.

“Zenyatta?!”

“Er, no, sorry. This is Genji. His friend. You met me a while ago.”

A few things flashed over the wizard’s face, almost too fast to see. Shock, hesitance, and then a pleasant polite expression.

“Listen, Zenyatta can’t answer because he’s sick.”

“... Sick?”

“Yeah! He’s burning hot all over and he won’t stop shivering, and he keeps saying weird stuff that doesn’t make sense-- I don’t know what to do. I don’t know anything about humans. Please, what do I do?”

Mondatta’s shoulders untensed. “Well, it sounds like he’s doing his hardest to fight off the bug. Have you given him food or water?”

“I tried. He hasn’t taken the food, but I made him drink water.”

“That’s good. It sounds like he’s hallucinating, so there isn’t much you can do other than monitor his condition and keep him hydrated.”

“What?! I can’t do anything?”

Mondatta’s mouth curled upwards just a tad. “Humans are stronger than you think. Besides, you would be doing a lot just by making sure he’s comfortable and safe as he’s recovering.”

Genji opened his mouth and then clapped it shut. “Is… is he going to die?”

At this, the wizard’s smile grew. “No, no he won’t.” Then he cocked his head “You care for him, don’t you?”

“Yeah… I mean, yes. I do. He’s my best friend.”

“How did he get sick?”

“I think he worked himself until he got sick. He looked like he hadn’t slept for a week.”

Guilt washed over Mondatta’s face. “... I see.” he sighed. “When he starts to recover, he most likely won’t be able to stomach tough foods. There are recipe cards in the drawer next to the oven, use them to make him some soup.”

“Oh thank you, thank you so much,” Genji bowed deeply to the mirror. “I was so-- just-- thank you.”

“It should be me thanking you for taking care of my baby brother. But I can see how you shake with eagerness to get back to him. So go, and good luck.”

Before Genji could thank him again, the image of Mondatta was done and the mirror had gone dark.

 

= = =

 

By the time the sun peeked over the mountains and spilled in through the tiny window, Zenyatta was sleeping peacefully once again. Genji felt more exhausted than he had ever been before. He would rather run around the palace a hundred times than experience that ever again. He sighed, relieved, and plopped his head onto the covers across from Zenyatta’s face. The night had been filled with worry, but now everything was fine. Or as fine as it could be before Zenyatta actually opened his eyes and expressed that he was feeling better.

His face was calm now. Zenyatta looked somehow younger in sleep, even with the hint of laugh lines around the edges of his eyes and mouth. Genji watched his breathing and found it to be peaceful and unlaboured. As he counted the ins and outs of each breath, he thought.

Last night, during the peak of Zenyatta’s fever, Genji had never felt so frightened before. The idea of losing him to something so small, of watching him exhale and then never inhale ever again, terrified him. Watching him struggle and then fall silent in the span of seconds. Seeing his eyes never open again.

Genji had not known terror until last night.

Now the sun shone onto the bed and made Zenyatta glow. If Genji was a devil, then perhaps Zenyatta was an angel. What else could explain that pull he felt towards him. Whether close or far away there was a magnetic force that urged Genji close-- closer-- as close as possible. It was not the Hunger, he did not want to eat his soul (no matter how beautiful is looked).

Genji let the Pull tug at him, let it control his movements until his index finger touched Zenyatta’s nose. Immediately Zenyatta’s nose scrunched up and Genji yanked his hand back. The nose wiggled and snuffed and then Zenyatta buried his face back into the covers.

And then it clicked and he knew. Or perhaps he had known all along.

“Oh, Zenyatta,” Genji whispered. “Why didn’t I realize it before?”

Genji gently placed his hand onto the covers right around where Zenyatta’s would be.

 

“I love my good friend, Zenyatta.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> am i forgiven for last chapter?
> 
> EDIT: people are asking for ways to send me art n stuff so here's my tumblr! It's chohouse.tumblr.com. Come say hi!!!


	8. Magic

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Genji must deal with his own psychological fallout after realizing how he feels, and Zenyatta nurses himself back to health.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> me before starting the fic: ill just write 2k or more per week, itll be easy  
> my lazy ass, after several chapters that are twice as long or more: i have made a Mistake

“Genji, I’m better now, really.”

Genji crossed his arms. “You sound like you swallowed a bucket of sand.”

“Yes, but otherwise I’m fine,” Zenyatta argued.

“A few hours ago you were dying.”

“I wasn’t dying, Genji. I had a fever.”

“Humans can die from that.”

Zenyatta sighed. “Yes, but--”

Genji choked “Wait-- you actually can die from that?! I was just kidding-- What the f--”

“Genji, Genji,” the wizard grabbed his friend by the arms and held him still. “Calm yourself. The worst of my illness is gone now. I’m not going to die.”

“But you could have, and I--”

“Took care of me to the best of your ability, which was extremely well. Dwelling on what ifs will only cause unneeded stress. Come here.”

Zenyatta tugged Genji towards the bed and they sat down together. He cupped the back of Genji’s head and brought it close so that their foreheads were touching.

“Feel that? I am well now, and I have you to thank for it. I am very proud of you, Genji, and very thankful.”

But Genji did not respond. He was busy trying to control his breathing with his face so close to Zenyatta’s. He could stop breathing, which was something all demons could do, but it always made humans unnerved. However if he inhaled through his nose at all, he would get another whiff of Zenyatta’s scent. His Hunger growled just at the thought of it. The smell of Zenyatta’s delicious magic and his delectable soul.

“Genji, are you alright?”

Genji yanked himself back, pushing down his inner demon at the same time. “Y-yeah!”

“Your head was warm, are demons able to catch human illnesses?”

His stomach did a flip. Even like this, just recovering from a fever bad enough to make him hallucinate, Zenyatta was worried for Genji. Zenyatta cared for Genji.

“No, demons don’t get sick. I’m fine. Don’t worry about me.”

Zenyatta looked relieved. “Oh thank goodness. I would hate if you were to get sick because of me.”

Genji wanted to lean forward and touch foreheads again.

“I hope you’re not thinking of confining me to my bed again.”

“Sorry to crush your hopes.”

“Genji. I am a full grown adult. I’m perfectly capable of taking care of myself.”

“A full grown adult human, who is very weak and susceptible to viruses and could die from a cough.”

“You’re over exaggerating.” Zenyatta sounded like he was trying to be scolding, but his smile gave him away.

“What’s that? I couldn’t hear you. Your voice seems very weak from coughing up your own lungs.”

“I could fix that, if you let me leave my room.”

“Huh? Huh? Sorry, speak louder.”

Zenyatta giggled and lightly shoved his friend, who was dramatically cupping a hand to his ear and squinting.

“Fine. I’ll take that as permission to leave.”

Zenyatta stood up and began to walk towards the exit when Genji ran ahead of him and blocked the doorway.

“Ah-ah! You’re too sick to leave! But don’t worry! As your friend I will nurse you to health once again!”

“Genji,” Zenyatta smiled. “Please move.”

“Well, weak illness-prone human, you’ll have to make me.”

Genji showed his white, sharp teeth in a smug grin. Though the intimidation effect was a tad watered down due to the fact that Zenyatta was slightly taller than him. A sudden urge to float and regain an inch or two on the wizard hit Genji, but he pushed it down. 

“Have it your way,” Zenyatta hummed.

He pointed a graceful finger towards Genji’s chest and, confused, Genji followed the path with his eyes. There was nothing on him. What was he pointing at?

“Wha--”

Genji yelped as he was lifted into the air by an invisible force. Zenyatta moved his arm to the side of the room and the demon followed unwillingly. He struggled against the magic and tried to use his own flying powers to combat it, but to no avail.

Zenyatta gently set him on the ground and stood in the doorway where Genji had stood a moment ago. He chuckled at the demon’s stunned expression before walking out of sight.

Genji felt himself fall in love all over again.

“Zenyatta! Wait up!”

 

He found the wizard in the workshop surrounded by bottles and bowls. 

“Do I finally get to watch you do magic?”

“You’ve watched me do magic before.”

Zenyatta stood on his toes and reached up high to grasp at a glass flash up above, making his shirt ride up. Genji was suddenly very distracted.

As always, his pants hung low on his hips, which gave the demon an excellent view of soft, warm skin. Genji’s hands itched to reach out and touch it, to feel just how soft Zenyatta was under his shirt. He could see himself pressing against the Zenyatta’s back, his hands sneaking in under the hem of his shirt and feeling everything underneath.

Genji’s inner demon purred at the image. Zenyatta held in his arms as he flew back to their quarters, setting him down in a bed of silks, inhaling the delicious scent of human in the crook of his neck, his soul--

Genji felt disgusted with himself. He beat down his inner hunger with a passionate surge of protectiveness. He would never let anyone even close to tasting Zenyatta’s beautiful bright soul.

Especially himself.

“Could you pass me my wand, Genji?”

He did so obediently, trying not to show the entire emotional journey he went through on his face.

“Thank you.”

Zenyatta poured a green liquid into a blue liquid, turning it purple. He pointed his wand at the mixture and made a stirring motion, which it followed. When he let go of the wand to reach for another ingredient it stayed in the air stirring away.

There was grace in the way that Zenyatta brewed. His fingers, somehow both delicate and strong at the same time, wrapping around the thin neck of a long bottle. Without looking he reached to the side and opened one out of what must have been over a hundred small drawers. Zenyatta plucked his wand out of the air and waved it once, causing a poof of pink smoke to erupt.

Soon enough, Zenyatta had a system of dry ingredients and bottles floating and orbiting around him. Whichever he needed he would pluck and then carefully place it back into orbit. Genji watched in awe of the blatant display of magic. Most other human wizards he had met were attached to their wands and staves, constantly waving them around like they were at an orchestra. 

Meanwhile Zenyatta effortlessly beckoned a tube of spices from a shelf across the room and sent a jug of yellow stuff back with the crook of a finger and a wave. Genji could taste the magic in the air like it was a solid thing. If he closed his eyes and let himself touch it, surely he wouldn’t be able to hold his demons back from devouring such a morsel.

So instead he sat back and watched. He let his own demonic energies spread out and curiously examine the beacon that was Zenyatta. When he got close enough, he could _feel_ Zenyatta’s magical essence. 

It was the sun warming a bare back. It was biting into a peach and having the juices run down one’s chin. It was grabbing a ball of soft dough and kneading it against a wooden cutting board. It was stepping on a moss bed in the forest. It was the weight of a piano key; the smell of cedar.

“Hello, Genji,” Zenyatta hummed. “Is this your attempt at distracting me?”

“No,” Genji said. “I was just curious, sorry. I didn’t know you could feel that.”

“Just barely,” another poof of smoke from the brew, this time bright green. “How fascinating…! And you can control this?”

“Yeah. I mean, I’m not really an expert on it. My tutors tried to teach me the more detailed magic stuff, but I never paid attention.”

“You do yourself a disservice, Genji. You are very smart and clever in your own way. I’m sure that if you explained it to me, I would understand it.”

Coming from anyone else, _‘you’re smart in your own way’_ would have been condescending. From Zenyatta it felt like a true compliment, and Genji could feel his chest tighten.

“Ok, but I’ll say I told you so when you don’t get it,” the demon leaned back. “It’s kind of like… me. Or my energy-- which is me. Demons don’t really have a physical form. I mean, I have one right now, but if it got really damaged I could leave it. It would probably turn into dust or something gross like that. If I was in the human world, I could easily just pass into my realm and regroup there. Fighting other demons is… tricky. If they’re really powerful-- like me-- they could also just leave their bodies and escape. Lesser demons can’t really do that. I mean, they could if they wanted to, but they would probably die. Their energy is weaker and without a body they would evaporate or something.”

Genji groaned. “Shit, now I’m off topic. Ok, ok… So I can manipulate my energy-- which is me (me energy?)-- since it isn’t really bound to my body. I can move it around, touch stuff, pick stuff up,” a cup near him floated into his hand. “It’s more for convenience and… uh, stuff. I’m running out of things to say.”

“That is alright,” Zenyatta said. “You’re doing very well in explaining it. Take your time.”

A surge of confidence welled up within the demon and he looked back over to his friend. Zenyatta had now turned completely away from his worktable and was paying complete attention to Genji. Genji quickly looked away, his affection and a self-consciousness warring in his head.

“Th-thanks… Anyways, I could have learned how to use my energy differently. It would have been to do stuff like human wizards do, making fire balls and lightning strikes and stuff, but I didn’t focus on that when I was little.”

“May I ask why?”

“Well I mean, I didn’t want to. I’d rather use my sword or my claws. Besides, using spells like that can be dangerous for demons. Since we’re using our own energy, it’s kind of like pulling skin over a drum. The more stuff you do with it, the more spread out it becomes. I’ve seen some super old demons whose energy is spread out thinner than paper. If someone wanted to, they could just kill him, and his-- uh, ‘self’-- would be too thin to survive without a body.”

Zenyatta still held eye-contact with him and it made Genji squirm. Why did he have to be such a good listener?

“Thank you very much, Genji. You may think yourself not being on par with an ‘expert’, but you have shown me just how intelligent you really are. Even if you did not pay attention in class you have absorbed so much knowledge. Truly you are brilliant.”

Genji wanted to die. 

At the same time, he felt more alive than he ever had before. 

How was it that only a few words could reduce a high demon to a puddle?

“Th-thank you…. Zenyatta....”

“But this does raise some fascinating questions…” the wizard muttered. “If demons are beings of magical energy attached to physical bodies, then are humans similar? Perhaps if we switched the idea of ‘energy’ and ‘spirit’ it would make more sense. Demons being spirits, able to move from vessel to vessel, which humans are bound to theirs…”

Zenyatta put a hand to his chin and another on his hip, his gaze moving to the ceiling as if it held all the answers. Mumbling and muttering such musings made Genji think of his old tutors, except Zenyatta was cute when he was rambling about magic theory, so he didn’t mind listening.

“Are those with magical abilities different? Perhaps they are similar to demons in that they are able to control their spirit and channel it into magic, yet they are still bound to their physical form.”

“... Zenyatta.”

“I’ve never read any paper that talks of magic like this. It brings a whole new view to the table. If demons are stretched thin by casting magic, then what does it do to humans?”

“Zenyatta.”

“Does this new information prove that true self is without form?”

_”Zenyatta!!”_

The wizard snapped out of his trance like a rubber band. “Oh! I’m sorry, Genji. What is it?”

“I think you’re getting a bit too excited,” Genji smiled and tried to hold back his chuckling. “Your ingredients are having a hard time not flying everywhere.”

Unbeknownst to Zenyatta, the more excited he became by such a silly thing like magical theory, the faster the items in his orbit span. The look of surprise was cute enough to rot Genji’s teeth out of his mouth. He wouldn’t even be angry about it.

“Ah, you’re right,” Zenyatta slowed the orbit down and patted his pants (even though they were not dusty). There was a dark tinge to his cheeks and he sheepishly looked away from Genji’s eyes. “That does not happen normally…”

“That’s okay. It was--” Genji choked on the word _cute._ “...endearing.”

The wizard looked relieved, but that adorable flush to his cheeks stayed there. “I’m glad that you think so. I usually am in more control of my magic.”

“Maybe it’s because you’re sick?” Genji offered. If he was being honest to himself he hoped that it was not because of that. He wanted to see more of Zenyatta’s control slipping when he was excited. Even if it was for some nerd thing.

“If so, then all the more reason why I am glad that my potion is finished.”

Zenyatta took his wand and commanded all of his ingredients to sort themselves back into their cupboards and shelves. The end product looked to be a foamy teal drink that moved slowly when the bottle was tipped one way or the other. It looked like something that Genji might put on his walls but not drink.

“Are you sure this is safe?”

“Genji,” Zenyatta said seriously. “I have been making my living off of these potions for several years. My job is to brew potions. Do you doubt me?”

“Uhh……”

Zenyatta grinned. “I apologize. I couldn’t resist. It is very safe.”

Genji put his face in his hands and the sound of bell-like laughter filled the room. For a moment there he had felt the kind of panic one gets when a bar of soap flies out of one’s hands. He was constantly reminded of the sense of humor that Zenyatta had and every time he felt himself sink deeper into the quicksand pit that was his infatuation.

Zenyatta downed the drink in one go and licked his lips of any residue (which Genji stared at and subconsciously mimicked). “So, what happens now?” Genji asked.

“Now I wait. The potion will have worked its magic and I should be perfectly healthy by the time the sun sets.”

“Wait-- really?”

“Yes, really..”

“That’s… that’s awesome!” Genji beamed. “And you can make it anytime?”

“If I have the proper ingredients, yes.” Zenyatta said, stunned by his friend’s sudden change in mood.

“You’re amazing!” the demon laughed and grabbed Zenyatta before flying upwards.

“G-Genji! Put me down!” Zenyatta gripped tightly onto the nearest part of his friend.

“I knew it! I knew you were special ever since you summoned me! Your magical talent and power is amazing! _Amazing!”_

“All I did was make a potion--”

“You made a potion that cures sickness in less than five minutes, when it takes my kingdom’s most powerful magic users hour or days to make something that pales in comparison! You didn’t even need to use a recipe book!”

“Ah, that is because I made it myself…” Zenyatta’s eyes widened and he realized the mistake he made when Genji’s sharp-toothed smile widened even farther. He yelped as he was spun in the air.

“See?! You’re powerful _and_ brilliant!”

Zenyatta was about to ask to be put down, again, when suddenly he was crushed to Genji’s chest. He was no longer spinning, leaving them gently floating midair as they hugged. It was awkward (not emotionally but physically) since Zenyatta was taller than his friend. Genji’s head rest on the side of Zenyatta’s, and Zenyatta had his face buried in Genji’s kimono. The wizard was still stunned from the sudden praise and celebration.

Yet still.

Zenyatta buried his face in deeper and surrendered to the embrace. He could smell how his clothes had been recently washed but still the unmistakable scent that was his stayed. Were demons supposed to smell good to humans? Were they supposed to look like a dream walked into reality? It was not human-like to smell like red bean paste and fresh cake dough. 

Genji was keeping them both up using his powers, so Zenyatta felt no need to rush. Time was an illusion, and affection was a precious gift. 

As was his friendship with Genji, and Genji himself.

 

= = =

 

“Thank you for coming, Genji.”

“Of course. We’re friends, right?”

“But still, you were not obligated to come.”

Genji was also not obligated to come back to the attic whilst Zenyatta was still in a sick coma and burn a new custom summoning circle into the stone floor so that no one could destroy it again, but he did it anyways.

“I do what I want. You should know that by now.”

“Perhaps you have been too subtle in your machinations.”

“I can try harder.”

“No, no need. I believe you.”

Together they ascended the stairs towards the summoning room. Genji did not want to leave, now that he had put a label on his feelings. He wanted to stay and talk with Zenyatta until he fell asleep. He wanted to try and sleep with him in the same warm bed, to share blankets and tangle legs together.

“Here,” Zenyatta handed a fabric-covered package to Genji. “Something for Udon when you get back.”

Genji felt the butterflies in his chest flutter excitedly. “You care for it.”

“I do,” Zenyatta smiled. “Your payment is also in there.”

The moment, for Genji, shattered.

“Uh. My... payment?”

“Yes. For coming here and nursing me to health,” he explained. “I do not have much in my pantry but I still managed to make something sweet for you.”

That was right. Payment. How could Genji have forgotten the sole reason why demons came through when summoned? The tradition that went back in time ever since humans had began manifesting magic.

The tradition that Genji had insisted upon ever since their first meeting.

The package felt heavy in his hands. He felt sick. He did not want whatever was inside. He did not want to be ‘paid’ for taking care of his dear friend. The idea left a bitter taste in his mouth and he suddenly felt a great resentment towards his past self. Genji had forgotten all about the contract formed between humans and demons.

He only wanted to take care of Zenyatta because he loved him.

“Thank you…” he said, trying not to show his internal struggle.

As always, Zenyatta saw through him. He frowned and cocked his head, “Are you still worried, Genji? I will be alright for one night. Tomorrow I will call you over and you can check for yourself to see whether or not I am healthy.”

“You better,” Genji grumbled and Zenyatta giggled, making his insides twist all over again.

“Oh! I almost forgot to ask you something. It is about what you told me earlier, about demonic energy.”

Genji rubbed the back of his neck. “Ah, sure. Just gonna remind you that I’m not an expert.”

“If that ‘power’ is _you,_ but also your energy,” Zenyatta paused. “Would that not make it _‘Genergy’?”_  
Genji had chosen to love this man, and was reminded once again that it was an excellent choice.

“Nevermind, I can see that you’re perfectly healthy now. Don’t call me tomorrow.”

Zenyatta laughed and held his sides as he shook, while Genji crossed his arms and tried (failed) to keep his laughter inward.

When they both recovered, Zenyatta looked at Genji with a sparkle in his eye.

“Goodnight, Genji.”

“Goodnight, Zenyatta.”

 

 

Then he was back in his room, immediately attacked by his green dragon. It shoved its nose into his armpit and underneath his arm and snuffled the mysterious package in his hands. Genji didn’t feel like eating.

“Here, Udon, you have it.”

Udon happily complied and floated to its small bed, delicately unwrapping its gift with a gentle mouth. As soon as the treat inside was exposed to the air, a sweet and spicy smell filled the room. Udon chirped happily and began devouring it.

Genji changed his mind.

“Give me at least one,” he pleaded to the hoarding dragon.

It huffed and allowed the demon one slice. The food was sticky in Genji’s hand and still warm. It looked to be a piece of bread that had been fried (or maybe grilled?) He bit in and moaned at the taste of cinnamon and syrup. 

He did not want to be paid, but the payment was fucking sweet.

“There you are,” Hanzo loudly opened the sliding door, knowing that Genji hated that. “Are you ready?”

“Whuh?” Genji said eloquently, french toast half chewed in his mouth. “Reh-ee fo whah?

“The party.”

Genji swallowed his food. “What party?”

Hanzo sighed as if his soul was leaving through his mouth and he pinched the bridge of his nose. “The party that has been planned for months, the one that we are all attending whether you like it or not.”

“Oooohhh, _that_ party. Okay, fine. Sure I’ll go.”

His brother looked at him strangely. “You… are less argumentative than usual.”

“I don’t argue _all_ the time.”

“Technically that’s an argument.”

“No it’s--” Genji narrowed his eyes and quit while he was ahead. “Why wouldn’t I want to go? I don’t have to leave the palace, and there’s free food.”

“Because we have a date lined up for you.”

“A WHAT?!”

“Genji. This has already been planned. For months.”

“Well, there’s a good reason why I didn’t know. It’s because shut up.”

“Stop acting like a child. It would do the family good for you to be seen with another powerful bloodline.”

“I don’t give a shit about the ‘family’ and you know that.”

“Does this mean that you have an alternative?”

“I can go stag.”

“No you can’t.”

“I can… choose someone else!”

“Who would you choose?”

“S…uh, someone! Anyone else!”

Hanzo looked his brother up and down and sighed. 

“I can keep the elders off your back--”

Genji sing-songed “Oh thank you! Thank you, anija--”

“-- But only for a short amount of time. You have a day to find someone else to take, or else you will be with your chosen date.”

“Have I ever told you that you’re my favourite brother?” Genji fluttered his eyelashes at Hanzo, whose mouth twitched.

“I’m your only brother.”

“That’s because I had the other ones assassinated.”

Hanzo snorted and Genji’s grin widened. The elder brother shook his head.

“One day, Genji.”

“Yeah yeah, one day! You can go now, bye-bye!”

Genji had a wonderful idea. A wonderful and brilliant and fool-proof idea. He threw open his closet and began sifting through the clothes to find something perfect.

Genji didn’t need a day to figure out who to invite. He already knew the perfect person.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> its about to get GAY
> 
> its like, 1am. i really wanted to finish it fast cause i said id do it every monday. but i lied. im a liar who waits until sunday to write because im playing legend of zelda all week long. im a lying liar who LIES. 
> 
> anyways im thinking about moving the update day to friday instead. if i do, youll still get an update monday, but youll also get one on friday. idk yet. it means ill have to write two chapters and im Lazy
> 
> my tumblr is chohouse. you can come over and yell/cry at me or ask for my discord. im always there. 
> 
> luv u. kisses each and every reader on the head and tucks u in b4 bed. sweet dreams.
> 
> ALSO u may have noticed that the chapter count changed. it is not a typo


	9. The Party

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zenyatta tries to blend in while surrounded by demons, and Genji is confronted by Hanzo for his choice in 'date'.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> before you read, know that zenyatta is wearing [this](http://www.cdn.aliflailaa.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/15.jpg) and more pics can be found [here](http://www.aliflailaa.com/product/viva-n-diva-green-colored-tussar-silk-saree/)
> 
> genji is wearing something like [this](https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/9b/1d/d1/9b1dd1fd64bab70b50de06e8b3fa7f7a.jpg) but with a [himo](http://www.wafuku.co.uk/allowed/mensgarb.jpg)
> 
> phew!! another long chapter. i hope yall appreciate this. jk i kno u will. i luv u mwah <333

Zenyatta felt out of place.

There he stood against a wall in a ballroom filled to the brim with people-- more accurately-- demons. Each one wore something unique and eye-catching; gowns, suits, kimonos, sarees, kilts, keffiyehs, hanfus, kanzus, piupiu, and anything under the sun. The entire scene looked like something that Zenyatta would see in a textbook studying fashions across the globe. He had never even imagined anything like this before and found himself starstruck. 

With all of the colours assaulting his senses, Zenyatta felt boring and out of place in his plain saree. While all of the clothes in the room sparkled and shone, his was only a plain teal fabric with minimal fanfare. It had a heavily embroidered, dark gold edge that matched his large earrings. It was the most formal outfit that he owned.

Yet he did not feel ashamed. 

He liked his saree and how it looked on himself. Even if everyone else wore something that must have cost more than Zenyatta could fathom, he felt no jealousy. Zenyatta was content with who he was and what he owned.

However, his much simpler attire made him stand out from the others. He was more worried about attracting attention while Genji was busy somewhere else and unable to cover for him.

Not one of the demons in this palace knew that a human walked upon them.

 

_”Just trust me, Zen.”_

_“I do, Genji,” he said. “But I am worried about your lack of backup plans.”_

_” **Our** lack of backup plans. We’re a team.”_

_“.... Genji.”_

_Genji sighed and let his shoulders fall. “I know, I know, it’s risky-- but I won’t let anyone lay a hand on you. I’ll be at your side all night... but…” he looked at the floor. “If you really want to go back, I’ll take you home. I won’t make you uncomfortable for my own convenience.”_

_“That’s not what I said, Genji,” Zenyatta gently took hold of Genji’s jaw and brought it back up to make eye contact. “When I said that I would help you, I meant it. I only worry for your reputation if they discover I’m not a demon.”_

_“They won’t,” Genji said with enough conviction to make a priest look unfaithful. “Besides, I’ve done worse than this before. Bringing a human to the annual gathering of old demon bloodlines is practically tame.”_

_“You’re doing an excellent job of sharing your confidence.” Zenyatta smiled, not a scrap of sarcasm in his tone._

_“That’s the spirit!” Genji cheered. “It’ll be fun, don’t worry. As long as you wear the amulet I gave you, your human aura will be masked. No one will suspect a thing.”_

_“I trust you, Genji.”_

 

Genji yanked his wrist out of Hanzo’s grip and stopped letting himself be dragged away from the ballroom. “Hanzo, what the hell?”

Hanzo spun on him fast enough to change the air pressure and pointed at his brother’s face. “You. I should have known that you would pull something like this.”

“Honestly, did you expect anyone else?”

“Yes! Anyone else! There are plenty of people who you know that _aren’t_ humans!”

“Jeez, niisan, I didn’t know that you had some kind of species bias.” Genji rolled his eyes. “Can I go now? The dancing is about to start, and--”

With unnatural speed and strength, Hanzo grabbed his brother by the collar and slammed him against the wall. “This isn’t the time to act like a child, Genji. Take him home, _now.”_

Genji glared down and dug his nails into Hanzo’s wrists. “I am a full grown adult and so is Zenyatta. He agreed to come here because it was supposed to be fun, until you dragged me away.”

“Did you even think about the consequences? What it would do to you? What it would do to your _family?”_

“Fuck the family,” Genji growled like an animal. “I don’t give a shit about its reputation.”

Hanzo looked at him with disgust. “Is that all this is to you? Some bratty prank to alienate yourself from the family more than you already are? To drag us into a war?”

Genji was about to spit something angry back at him until Hanzo slammed him against the wall again, baring his terrifying sharp teeth. “Did you even think about what might happen to your friend if he was caught? What would happen if a _human_ was thrown into a pit of century-old demons? Your little joke is going to _kill him._ Did you think of that? Did you even think at all?”

Hanzo released his grip on Genji and shook his head. “Of course you didn’t. You never _think_ before you do something stupid.”

Genji patted and unwrinkled his kimono and glared daggers at his brother, hoping that his expression would not show how shaken he was inside. He was not what his brother said he was. He was not childish or stupid. He may have jumped into this rashly, but he was not dense.

_’I trust you, Genji.’_

“I did not bring Zenyatta as a joke,” he said in a voice more confident than he really felt. “I brought him as a friend. I wanted him to come because I enjoy his company, Gods know how much I’ll need it during this ego-fest. 

“He’s not the vulnerable and weak human you act like he is. He’s smart and clever, with magical powers that could wipe our guards on the floor-- not to mention half of the demons in that room. _If_ he was found out, which he wouldn’t be, he would be completely able to get away without a single thread out of place.”

“I know how talented he is, Genji,” Hanzo said. “It is exactly why he does not deserve to be dragged into a den of snakes just because you would be bored.”

“That’s not why I invited him. I invited him because he’s my _friend._ Did you know that he’s never been to a dance before? That he’s never seen anything as formal as this? You should have seen his face when we entered the ballroom. He lit up like the sky when the sun comes up and his smile didn’t fade for at least half an hour. He never learned how to dance before and he kept watching everyone on the floor, so I promised that I would teach him.”

Hanzo’s glare lasted for one more second before a look of realization flashed over his face and was replaced with something like pity. “Oh, Genji.”

“Wh-What?! Why are you looking at me like that?”

The elder brother opened his mouth, and then closed it. He took a deep breath and let it out, his tense posture sinking into something more relaxed. “I’ll allow it.”

“Pbbbtthh, like I need your permission for anything.”

“I know you may think that I’m cruel and evil, Genji, but I do what I do because I care. I want you to be happy, but I don’t want you to throw your reputation away while you do it. I don’t want your friend to be hurt, either.”

Genji tried to hold onto his anger but it ran between his fingers no matter how hard he tried. “Yeah, okay. Is that all, honourable niisan? Can I leave now?”

“I thought you didn’t need my permission for anything?”

The younger brother’s face turned red and he punched Hanzo in the arm before stalking off. Hanzo watched, his neutral face melting into something akin to sadness. He knew the look on his brother’s face, the way his eyes went somewhere else when he spoke of his friend. Hanzo had confronted him before about wanting to sleep with the wizard, but now he knew it to be worse than that.

Genji always did take the most difficult path in life.

 

= = =

 

Zenyatta watched the door that the two Shimada brother had left through, glancing at the crowd around him every once in awhile. Genji was taking a long time talking with his brother. Were they okay? Were they fighting again? Zenyatta felt a wave of guilt wash over him, knowing that any fight they would be having was most likely about him.

He was so preoccupied watching the door that he did not notice a demon approach him until she was upon him. 

“Hi.”

Zenyatta nearly jumped out of his skin and whipped his head around to look at the stranger. The demon appeared to be a young woman wearing a pink and blue hanbok. She wore a headband that melded into her hair, only the pink bunny on top visible, and her healthy brown hair was in a braid down her back. Once again, Zenyatta had to remind himself that everyone here was a demon. Even the girl looked human except for the pink markings on her cheeks.

“Er, greetings.”

She looked up at Zenyatta through her eyelashes and he had the sudden urge to look away, feeling like he was being thoroughly examined. “I’ve never seen you around here before.”

“That’s because I have not been to one of these before.”

The girl looked surprised and the wizard felt his stomach drop. Should he have admitted that? He wished Genji was there to speak for him and guide him in this strange world.

“Kinda overwhelming, right?” she asked. “I saw you looking at the door. You look like you’re gonna bolt at any second now.”

“I admit, the idea tempts me.”

She smiled and outstretched her hand. “I’m Hana.”

Zenyatta shook it, his nervousness dispersing the more he spoke. “Zenyatta. Have you been to many of these, Miss Hana?”

“Only all of them,” she scoffed playfully. “It wouldn’t be a ball worth coming to if I wasn’t there.”

“Oh my, then I suppose I should be honoured that you’ve graced me with your presence.”

Hana looked at him and cocked her head. “You’re really polite, and strange. I’ve never met anyone who hasn’t heard of me.”

The feeling of unease came back with a vengeance. “I’m... not from around here.”

“That might explain it,” she hummed. “Who did you get an invite from?”

“Genji.”

“Wait-- Genji? Genji Shimada?!”

“... Yes?”

“I’ve never heard of him inviting someone, much less staying around for more than an hour.”

“Perhaps he has--”

“Omigosh!” she gasped and grabbed his hands. “You’re his date, aren’t you?!”

Zenyatta could feel all of his rush to his cheeks in embarrassment. She had hit the nail on the head, and the sound of someone else calling him Genji’s ‘date’ made his stomach flip. It was strange, as Genji had referred to it as that since the beginning and he had not felt like this.

“Ah, yes. I am.”

“I knew it! You know, it was a surprise to everyone to hear that he was bringing a date. He never does, and never did, even when he was going through that phase and had a different person on his arm every day.” Hana grinned and leaned in to share a secret. “You know, I was supposed to be his date tonight.”

“Oh!” Zenyatta exclaimed. “I had heard that he was set up with someone, but I did not know who it was.”

“Yeah, his brother-- or maybe his dad?-- set us up since like, months ago.”

“Are you upset?”

“Pfft! No! I agreed to be his date because we’re friends. Plus, it would up our images to be seen together. Not that he ever cared about that. Figures that he would get a date out of spite.”

“Genji and I are also good friends. It is why I agreed to come.”

“Ha! Not a surprise. He wouldn’t be able to woo someone polite like you.”

“Why do you say that?”

Hana giggled. “Let’s go somewhere else, then I’ll spill the juicy stuff.”

Zenyatta let her tug him along across the room into a door and felt comfortable. Hana seemed very friendly, but unharmful. If she truly was Genji’s friend, then she would be a good person. Zenyatta trusted his judge of character.

 

= = =

 

Shit.

Genji had lost Zenyatta.

He left for what couldn’t have been more than five minutes and somehow his friend had disappeared. Guilt churned in his gut as Hanzo’s lecture still echoed in his ears. Zenyatta was clever and extremely capable. Wherever he was-- which could not be too far-- he could handle himself.

And yet.

An uneasy feeling draped over him. What if he had truly lost the wizard? What if he could not find him? What if he was found out? The amulet only hid so much of Zenyatta’s human aura. If a demon were powerful enough, perceptive enough, they could get a glimpse of what lied beneath.

No, no. Such thoughts were silly. Zenyatta could handle himself.

Genji aggressively sifted through the crowd nonetheless.

“Genji.”

The demon prince froze as he bumped into something much taller than him. Standing at least a foot (maybe more) higher over Genji was his father, Sojiro Shimada.

_Shit._

“Otousan.”

“How are you enjoying the party?”

“It’s okay.”

“Just ‘okay’?” Sojiro chuckled. “My son is always so hard to please.”

“Yeah, well…” he petered off, not knowing what to say. His mind was on other matters.

“I heard that you brought someone tonight.”

“Yeah, I did.”

“When do we get to meet them?”

Genji felt ice crawl up his spine. His father-- his family-- meeting Zenyatta..?

But as soon as the chill came, it was replaced with warmth. Zenyatta meeting his family. His parents being charmed by him, even liking him. Approving of him.

He shook it off.

“Uh, maybe not tonight. I kinda lost track of him.”

Sojiro Shimada raised his eyebrows and then stood aside. “Then don’t let me keep you from him.”

Genji’s face was flushed as he walked away.

 

= = =

 

Outside the sky looked the same as it had the last time Zenyatta had visited.

Not light enough to be day, but not dark enough to be night. Grey clouds almost completely blended into the grey sky. The sight went on forever and ever, and Zenyatta realized that he had never gotten a chance to really _look_ at it. 

The clouds and the sky together looked like lace that was barely visible. Since he was not choking on the air, Zenyatta finally marveled at how much magic flowed through it. It was almost as if he could conjure a flame five times the size that he could at home without a thought. The urge to stay there, to study the world, tugged at him strongly.

Maybe one day.

“So, how long have you two been seeing each other?” Hana asks, waggling her eyebrows comically. Zenyatta covers his mouth and chuckles.

“It’s very new,” he plays along. “We’ve been friends longer.”

“How did he get you to come here as his date?”

“He only asked.”

“Awww,” she cooed. “That’s so sweet. How did he ever end up with a such a softie?”

Zenyatta brought his hand close and stage whispered, “To be truthful, Genji is quite the softie as well.”

Hana looked (fake) shocked and they laughed together. “I’m never letting him live this down. Did you know that when we were children, he used to run around and pretend he was a dragon. After he learned how to fly, they had to wrestle him down from the rafters almost everyday. He called it his ‘lair’.”

Zenyatta saw it perfectly and his smile widened at the same time that his chest tightened. Genji was centuries old and he knew it to be impossible, but still, Zenyatta wished that he knew him when they were younger. He wished that he had met Genji a decade earlier, a year earlier, even a day earlier. It was selfish, to want his time with Genji to be more than it already was.

“And how did Udon feel about this?”

“Udon?” Hana looked at him crookedly. “Oh yeah! His dragon. Genji didn’t manifest his dragon until he was older.”

“Manifest…?”

“Yeah. Udon is cute and all, but it kind of loses its charm after you realize that it’s technically your friend that’s chasing all of the koi in the pond.”

Zenyatta let the new information sink in, leaning on the balcony railing and looking towards the ground below. So… Udon was Genji. Or a part of Genji. The same Udon that had wrapped around Zenyatta’s neck like a scarf and...

“Oh shit,” Hana whispered. “Did you… not know?”

“I have a lot of information to process.”

Hana snorted, trying to keep her laughter internal, until she let it free and cackled to her heart’s delight. She put her hand on Zenyatta’s back and rubbed it comfortingly. “There, there… it happens to the best of us… So, what did it do? Did you give it scraps from the table?”

“I…” the wizard paused. “It has… been very affectionate.”

“Oh no,” she said solemnly. “What did it _do?”_

“It has been under my shirt. Several times.”

“Holy crap. I am _so_ sorry.”

Genji chose this very moment to finally find them on the balcony.

“Zenyatta! I’ve been looking for you every--”

“Genji, you damn molester,” Hana shook her head at him.

The demon prince froze and looked between the two. “Uhh, I what?”

Zenyatta spoke up “Hana has been telling me of Udon, and how it is a part of you.”

Genji immediately turned beet red and Hana snorted loudly. Zenyatta was still looking at the landscape and did not see the look of utter mortification that was painted on Genji. “It’s-- it’s not like that! Whatever she said, it isn’t true!!”

“So Udon is not a part of you?”

“Uh, I mean, he is. But I don’t control it! It just… shares my life energy… and is a symbol of my demonic powers… and-- that’s not the point!”

“What is the point, Genji?”

“The point is that I’m not a molester!”

“So Udon, who is a part of you, who has been inside of my robes before, does not put any guilt on you?”

Genji choked and struggled for words before whining Zenyatta’s name and moving forwards to butt his head on Zenyatta’s back. The wizard let him mumble and whine for a moment before he turned around and held him by the chin.

“Genji,” he said calmly. “It’s okay.”

“You’re… not mad?”

“No. I was never mad in the first place.”

“Then why-- why did you..?”

“Because I wanted to see your reaction, which was just as good as I expected,” Zenyatta smiled. “Also it is retribution for not telling me such an important fact.”

Genji stared at him, dumbfounded, and then groaned and butt his head on his date’s chest. Zenyatta chuckled and held his friend as he got all of the muttering and ‘I hate you so much’s out of his system.

Hana looked at them fondly and giggled. “I’ll leave you two lovebirds alone.”

Genji turned red and muttered louder. It sounded something like ‘stupid Hana, putting bad ideas into Zen’s head’.

“Have a good night, Hana, and thank you for accompanying me.”

“You too! Come visit my estate sometime, I’ll show you what a real party is like.”

Zenyatta waved goodbye, still holding Genji, and Hana waggled her eyebrows at them. It made him happy that, almost without trying, they could pass as a couple. It made him happy that him and Genji were so affectionate and close that people assumed they loved each other. Because they did. Zenyatta did not need to hear the words come from Genji’s mouth to know that they both loved each other.

But somehow, the idea of that love crossing the threshold from platonic to romantic, made Zenyatta’s gut flip.

“I am sorry for leading you on, Genji,” Zenyatta said, stroking his friend’s hair.

“It’s okay. I kind of deserved it,” Genji moped. “I wanted to tell you, but it just never came up. Next thing I knew we were best friends and saying _‘Hey Zen, my dragon familiar is actually kinda sort of me. You know, the one that is extremely physically affectionate’_ would be super embarrassing.”

“Was this outcome any less embarrassing?”

“No.” Genji moaned in anguish.

Zenyatta chuckled again and continued to comfort his friend.

It felt like an age had passed when the music from inside the ballroom started. Genji and Zenyatta had stood together, pressed close, for what may have been an hour or a few minutes. No matter how long it had really been, both of them felt no need to separate. Genji liked the smell of his friend’s clothes and the hand in his hair, petting him and scratching his scalp. Zenyatta liked the warmth that his friend gave off, the soft hair in his hand, the way his arms fit perfectly around him.

Even so, the music was a reminder of reality, and they finally pulled apart. Genji looked at his friend, really _looked_ at him, and felt his heart constrict. The teal sari matched his eyes and the gold trim complimented his warm skin. It was nowhere near as extravagant or ridiculous as the outfits inside or the demons that wore them. A realization hit Genji like a train.

“You look beautiful.”

Genji had said that outloud. Just like the realization, the sudden urge to jump off the balcony and flee into the woods forever hit him like a train.

But Zenyatta did not laugh at him. A dark blush spread over his cheeks and his nose, his eyes focusing on Genji’s himo instead of looking him in the eyes.

“Thank you, Genji,” he said. “You also look beautiful.”

Genji felt so alive.

“Thank you for inviting me, Genji. It has been a long time since I’ve done something like this and had the chance to wear formal clothing.”

“Anytime!” Genji blurted out. “I mean it! You can come with me to every party here. There’s even a dance in a week at another family’s estate. I wasn’t planning on going, but if you wanna then so do I.”

Zenyatta chuckled, “Perhaps not next week. I fear that going to a party every fortnight will tax on my work. Besides, I don’t have enough in my closet to go to many more.”

“I’ll buy you more! We have a tailor, she’s been in our family forever, she can make you something beautiful for every week. Or we could go out and shop for one!”

“Genji,” Zenyatta put his hand on his friend’s shoulder. “Thank you, your words mean very much to me, but I do not think that this is the kind of lifestyle I want to live.”

“Right, yeah,” Genji rubbed the back of his neck, his shoulder feeling like it was burning. “You’re right, as always. I just got kind of excited.”

“I know. I love your passion, Genji, and I would love to experience more of _your_ lifestyle. You have helped me cook, forage, and shop. Now I want to be a part of your life, like you are a part of mine.”

“Zenyatta,” Genji’s throat constricted. “You are already a part of my life.”

The wizard crooked his head and smiled to that it pushed his eyes almost closed. “That means the world to me.”

The music inside changed to something slower, gentler, and still Genji and Zenyatta were standing so close. There was the talking and laughing from inside was muffled into murmurs through the wall. All of the other instruments had sat down and given the spotlight to the piano player.

Genji was overcome with _want._

“I promised you a dance.”

“That you did.”

Genji bowed deeply and offered a hand to Zenyatta, playfully peeking up at him. “I like to keep my promises.”

“How honourable,” Zenyatta said and took his friend’s hand.

The music started of simple and slow. Only a handful of melancholic notes played at a time. The next line added the pianist’s other hand and the song. There was a sadness hidden within the notes, but also happiness.

Together Genji and Zenyatta turned and stepped to the slow music. Zenyatta had kept his hand on Genji’s shoulder and Genji had placed a hand on his hip. His face heated up when he felt the dip there on his waist, contrary to his thick chest. He had to look up as he led them through the dance and push down the want to stand on the tips of his toes and kiss him.

 _How did I get so lucky?_ Genji thought. With the dim lights on the balcony highlighting Zenyatta’s face, his blue irises barely visible with the way his eyes smiled, his sari flowing over the ground, his golden jewelry sparkling; Genji wondered if Zenyatta was not an angel that fell from Heaven.

 _How did I get so lucky?_ Zenyatta thought. Genji, who had grown up with such formal events and important people, decided that he wanted to spend his time with Zenyatta. There must have been over a hundred demons in there who were powerful and influential. Even Hana. But here he was, dancing with a human instead. A human who’s clothing paled in comparison with even the tablecloth. Here he was, looking at Zenyatta like he was the sun.

The music eventually changed and the night eventually moved on, but they stayed on the balcony.

Together.

 

= = =

 

“Thank you for accompanying me home, Genji.”

“I’m pretty sure that you _need_ me to escort you home, since you can’t really cross the realms without me.”

“My gratitude still stands.”

Genji knew by now that he would lose any argument that he started with Zenyatta, so he let it go. His hands tingled, wanting to be entwined with Zenyatta’s once more.

“I had a lot of fun tonight,” he says.

“Me too.”

Then there is nothing left to say but ‘Goodnight’. However, Genji can’t bring himself to say the word and end the night. If he could, he would freeze the rest of the world back when they were dancing, and do nothing but sway in each other’s arms for the rest of eternity.

“I’ll see you tomorrow, Genji,” Zenyatta says.

It sounds better than goodbye, so he rolls with it. “See you.”

With a cloud of smoke Genji was gone and the wizard was left in his dark tower. It must have been late into the night or early into the morning with how tired that he felt. Sleep tugged at his mind and beckoned him to bed, but he knew that if he went to sleep dressed as he was he would regret it come morning.

Yet as he slipped into his sleepwear, his workshop called to him. Particularly, the mirror inside. He missed talking to his brother before bed, he missed telling of his day and listening in return. When he thought of the last time he had seen Mondatta his chest ached with leftover betrayal.

He did not feel that way any longer, but for emotions to be imperfect was to be human. Zenyatta accepted it and moved to the room that housed the mirror, channeling magic through his fingertips and touching it. The mirror glowed softly as it waited for Mondatta to connect.

But he did not.

It was indeed late at night and without warning, so Zenyatta was not surprised that his brother did not respond. He called again just in case Mondatta was studying and did not hear it.

Then he called again, thinking that three calls would wake his brother up.

Then he called again.

Finally the call connected, but it was not Mondatta who answered.

“Hello…?” Alexander, Mondatta’s bodyguard, spoke to the mirror hesitantly.

“Alexander! It is Zenyatta.”

The blonde man’s shoulders relaxed, but still dark circles hung under his eyes. “Are you alright?”

“Yes, I’m fine. Why do you ask?”

Alexander rubbed the back of his neck nervously and Zenyatta finally caught a glimpse of the sword in his hand. The one that he had never seen unsheathed. A sickening feeling sunk in his gut like hot lead.

“Your brother, Mondatta, was stabbed.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> someone said 'kill him' in the comments when i asked if youd rather they have the fight or mondatta die so here u go. now u get both,.
> 
> OR DO YOU??????????????????
> 
> also im trying to add a master-note with all of the fanart n stuff but im incompetent w/ ao3 and idk how to. so now its on the first chapter cause idk how to make it appear on EVERY chapter. some1 help pls


	10. to sleep- perchance to dream;

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zenyatta has not summoned Genji in five days.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> choo choo! get ready for the feels train

It took five days for Genji to stop waiting for Zenyatta and burst into the tower himself. Five days of patiently waiting for his friend to summon him, five days of fretting about his health, five days of worrying if he had been to forward while they danced.

Upon arrival, he wished that he had had the idea five days earlier.

“Zenyatta?” he called out.

There was no answer. 

There was no sound in the tower but the wind blowing through it. The foyer still had Zenyatta’s shoes and hats, the front door bolted. The kitchen was a mess of plates and leftover food, some only half finished. A spike of dread pierced Genji’s heart. His friend always made sure that his cooking space was immaculate and sanitized. What had happened?

The brewing room’s door was open, but no sounds of life came from within. Peeking in Genji could see that it was untouched except for the tall mirror, which was taken down and leant against the wall; covered in a white sheet.

Genji almost passed Zenyatta’s room. The door was closed and, like all of the others, there was no sound within. He opened it carefully, bracing himself for the worst.

Clothes and other miscellaneous things littered the floor but for a thin path to the bed. Breathing in, he could smell how stale the air had become with the window closed and the curtain drawn. The demon was about to search another room when he realized that there was a small lump under the bedsheets.

“Zenyatta…?” he said carefully.

 

= = =

 

Zenyatta felt his mind break through the ocean of fog that was his head when his name was called. His eyes felt heavy, his arms felt heavy, his entire being felt heavy. He was tempted to ignore the voice and slip back into unconsciousness, to pretend he had not heard it. Maybe it would go away.

“Zenyatta?”

Then wakefulness hit Zenyatta like a kick in the gut. He forced his tired arms to push himself into a sitting position and looked to find Genji staring at him. Embarrassment and shame stabbed him through the heart. He must be dreaming-- or having a nightmare. To have Genji see him in this state made him want to bury himself in a hole.

“Ah-- Genji…. what are you doing here?”

He could feel those sharp eyes roving over him, examining exactly how much of a mess he looked like. “You never summoned me. I was worried.”

How could Zenyatta have forgotten? How long had it been to have Genji worried enough to visit?

“I’m not ill again, do not fret. I’m fine.”

“... Are you sure?”

“Yes. I am only tired.”

Genji furrowed his eyebrows the same way a disappointed parental figure would and Zenyatta was hit with a wave of regret. Had he worded his statement strangely? He had never been a good liar. Perhaps his friend thought that Zenyatta did not want to see him.

But the demon only huffed and crossed his arms. “Okay.”

“... ‘O-okay?’”

“Yep. It’s okay,” Genji uncrossed his arms and-- to Zenyatta’s shock-- began picking up litter from the floor. “You’re tired, so I’ll help you out.”

Zenyatta scrambled to the edge of the bed. “Genji! You don’t have to-- I don’t have any--”

Genji looked up from his task and Zenyatta was struck silent by the way his eyes shone. “I want to help. You can stay in bed, get some more rest, I’ll tidy up.”

The wizard did not know what else to do. Genji had said it in such a way that invited no arguments whatsoever, so Zenyatta obediently stayed on the bed. He no longer felt tired, but somehow the calm way the demon cleaned and puttered around the room lulled him back into sleep.

(When Genji was done with the bedroom, he looked at the sleeping wizard on the bed. Zenyatta had not gotten back under the sheets and had not crawled back into the center, so he lay sprawled out across the mattress and slept like the dead.)

No dreams came to Zenyatta. As he was gently shaken awake, he felt as if he had rested for a million years and still needed sleep. Genji had a grip on his arm and a hand in his. The wizard let himself be led into the bathroom.

The water had already been brought up and was steaming up the room. How long had Zenyatta slept that Genji had enough time to fetch and the heat it? Trance-like, he let Genji help him take off his outer layer of clothing, which he had not changed out of since they had seen each other last. Genji said something like ‘Get into the tub and relax, Zenyatta. Clean up a little, and I’ll be right outside’.

Zenyatta obeyed.

He sat in the warm water and let himself stew, unaware of the passage of time. Eventually the steam cleared his mind enough to remember to use soap. Lifting each arm was lifting dead weight and somehow managing to use it in a way that resembled washing. A small part of his mind registered the faint smell of tea tree oil in the air. Did Genji put it in the water?

Stepping out of the tub made a wet slapping noise as his soaked feet hit the stone. There was a bucket of clean water nearby and Zenyatta dunked it over his head to rinse off the soap suds. Standing upright no longer felt like the immense struggle that it had been earlier. 

The mirror was fogged up and Zenyatta wiped a hand over the surface so he could see his reflection. He barely recognized the man that he saw and-- for a split second-- he saw his brother in the reflection. He saw Mondatta after a sleepless night of studying and writing and stressing about the future.

And then the vision was gone, and he only saw himself.

Zenyatta sluggishly picked up his razor and began to shave. Each inch of newly smooth skin felt like shedding ten times the weight that it really was. By the time he had moved onto his head most of the steam had dissipated and the cooling air was causing goosebumps to raise on his skin.

Opening the bathroom door, he found a pile of clean clothes neatly folded outside when he bumped into them. It had undergarments, comfortable brown trousers, and a loose white shirt. As he put his hand on the door again, he hesitated.

Genji was most likely outside, somewhere in his house, cleaning up after him. Zenyatta’s face flushed in shame, thinking about how his friend was forced to tidy up after his lazy neglect; to tidy up after the scene he had caused in his bedroom. Genji did not deserve that. Zenyatta was using him.

He found Genji in the kitchen, an apron tied around his hips and hands full of sudsy plates. He was humming something unfamiliar and, when he turned his head, Zenyatta saw a small smile. 

Zenyatta must not have made a noise walking around with his bare feet, because Genji took a few minutes to notice him standing in the doorway _(and almost leapt into the air when he did)._

“Zenyatta!” he beamed, as if had not just been slaving over Zenyatta’s pig sty of a house. “You found the clothes I left for you! Are you feeling a bit better?”

Zenyatta was at a loss of words, so he obediently nodded.

“Come here, sit down,” Genji rushed to his side and pulled out a chair. “I’m just finishing up, but I can make something for you. I still remember that recipe for veggie and potato soup that you taught me. Though…” he trailed off, looking around the kitchen and pantry area. “I might have to magic up some of the ingredients. Maybe tomorrow we can go back to town together and shop for groceries.”

The wizard stared at him long enough to make Genji fidget.

“Why are you doing this?” Zenyatta asked, barely recognizing his own unused voice.

Genji blinked at him in surprise. “Because you are my friend, and I care about you.”

Zenyatta had nothing to say about that, and so he said nothing. He let Genji guide him into the chair and watched as he returned to cheerfully washing the dishes and talking about what he would make for them to eat. The sun was low in the sky and shone through the window over the sink, bathing Genji in orange light. Zenyatta felt his friend’s lovely voice wash over him and let his eyes be hypnotized by the movement of Genji’s back and arms. 

Though Zenyatta had visited the demon realm twice and met Genji’s demon family and friends more times, he was struck by the doubt in what he knew of Genji. Was he sure that he had summoned a demon through his circle that fateful night?

Or had he called an angel?

“Genji,” he said quietly. “You’ve done such a wonderful job, I don’t think I could ever repay you for such a thing.”

Genji stopped cleaning and looked back at his friend briefly. “I don’t want you to.”

Zenyatta was struck silly. “You… don’t want a reward?”

“Nope,” he popped the ‘P’.

“But… but why?

“That’s what friends do, right? Give gifts, help each other out, for free.”

Zenyatta had nothing to say to his own words thrown back at him, so he said nothing. Instead he pushed his chair out and stood, placing himself beside Genji at the counter.

“Let me help.”

“What? But I said I would--”

“Please.”

And Genji had nothing to say to that, so they both said nothing and let the comfortable silence say everything for them. 

 

= = =

 

Cooking and eating was filled with silence, scattered with the occasional ‘can you pass the ladle’ and ‘does this need more seasoning?’. Genji had not taken to the lack of talking with grace until a few minutes in. He vibrated with worry and questions and the need to fill the space with noise.

But looking at Zenyatta swept away his immediate worries. Compared to when Genji first found him, Zenyatta had more colour in his face. His eyes no longer looked dull and far away and he was able to move at a speed faster than molasses. Zenyatta was feeling better, even if he was not feeling the best, and at that moment that was all that mattered.

Zenyatta ate with small bites when he wasn’t stirring and poking his stew. To his credit, he looked like he was trying to eat it.

Finally, the question that had been nagging at Genji since he came blurted out of his mouth like word barf.

“What happened?”

Zenyatta put his spoon down, not that he was really using it, and looked up at his friend.

“My brother, Mondatta… there was an assassination attempt on him.”

Genji’s eyes widened. He recounted what little he had seen of Mondatta: a protective older brother, a worried and guilt-stricken man. “Why would anyone do that?”

“He is a very important wizard. Credit for the new rights to magic-users has been given partially to him since he led a large amount of protests and speeches. Many people are afraid of magic, of what they do not understand, and would see wizards and witches chained or burnt at the stake.”

Genji remembered a story Hanzo had told him when they were younger, passed on from what he had heard from a tutor. _’Humans hate other humans. There has never been a century that passed by without them killing each other.’_

“We… knew that this might happen. We were prepared for it, ever since Mondatta joined the movement, but… for it to happen so long after the King announced his approval of magic…”

“So, it isn’t because of that?”

Zenyatta sighed and somehow became even smaller. “We do not know. All we know is that the assassin did not care for witnesses. Mondatta was stabbed in the middle of a lecture.”

“Shit…” Genji muttered eloquently.

“He has not woken up. We do not know if he ever will--” Zenyatta’s voice cracked on the word. “--and the last thing I said to him… I told him to go away.”

“Oh, Zenyatta…” Genji whispered and finally succumbed to the need to hold his friend. “Will you-- are you okay?”

Zenyatta’s eyes were somewhere else again, farther than Genji could see. “I do not know. I was frightened, furious, and then devastated all in the span of a blink. When Alexander was explaining it to me, telling me that I could not visit for safety reasons, I could barely hear him. 

“I could not sleep, I could not eat. I tried to read a book, to do something with my hands while I was awake, but I loathed the idea of anything. I did nothing but lay in bed for two days without sleep until hunger threatened to chew through my stomach. Then… then I slept, and have done nothing since. I have been unconscious for three days.

“Yet that is not the worst part. The worst part is that I can’t… I can’t seem to feel anything. I am not sad, I am not worried, I am not angry at his assailant. I feel absolutely nothing while my brother is dying half a country away.”

Zenyatta’s voice croaked, unused and dehydrated. “I’m disgusting.”

“No!” Genji blurted out and grabbed his friend by the arms. “No, no! You’re not disgusting! You’re not a bad person for feeling-- or not feeling-- like this. It’s okay. You’re allowed to be numb.”

The demon pulled his friend into his arms and held him like he could float away at any second. “You can prepare for death all you want, but it’ll still be hard. It’ll still catch you off guard and surprise you. You’re allowed to feel like this.”

Genji felt hands slip out from the embrace and wind around his torso. Zenyatta melted into the hug and hid his face in Genji’s shirt while Genji rubbed his lower back in gentle circles.

“My brother was the same,” Genji admitted. “Our father almost died year ago after a rumble. I was so angry at everyone, at the rival clan, at myself. I stormed across the palace and threw things, destroyed anything I could. All I could see was red.

“I went to my brother’s room to yell at him too, and I did, but he did nothing. He just stared at the wall, still half in the futon I yanked him out of. I got angry about him letting me step all over him, too. But then I saw Shoyu and Shio. They were tiny and unmoving. It was unheard of for Hanzo’s dragons to be any smaller than a horse and there they looked like pitiful stuffed animals.

“While I had been full of rage, my brother was alone in his room, dying. The sadness, the depression, it was killing him. I don’t know how humans work, if they can die of sadness, but I won’t let you get to that point like I let my brother.”

Genji pulled back far enough to look Zenyatta in the eye.

“You can feel or not feel whatever you need to, but I’ll be here. I won’t let you go through this alone.”

Zenyatta returned the eye contact and held it, searching his friend’s eyes for any lies or ulterior motives. No matter what he did, he could find none.

He sagged forwards and let Genji catch him.

“Thank you, Genji.”

 

= = =

 

Even after dinner and the heart-to-heart, Zenyatta was still exhausted. His bed called to him and he glanced towards his bedroom more than once.

Genji must have noticed. “It’s getting late, you should go to bed.”

“I have been in bed all day, Genji.”

“That’s okay. More rest won’t kill you,” then he shrugged with a bratty grin. “Or maybe it will, who knows how many ways you humans can die.”

It worked and Zenyatta smiled, causing the butterflies in Genji’s stomach to flutter around violently. They gently bantered back and forth as they both went through Zenyatta’s preparations; brushing teeth, washing his face, and Genji insisted that they change his bed sheets. 

“It’ll feel nice and fresh,” he beamed. 

Sooner than either one of them would have liked, Zenyatta was ready for sleep. They stood at the foot of the bed awkwardly, neither wanting to start saying goodbye.

But Zenyatta spoke up first. “Genji.”

“Yeah?”

“You’ve done such a wonderful job today, thank you,” he looked down. “I don’t think I could ever repay you for this.”

The reminder of human-demon contracts made Genji’s blood boil. No matter what he did, no matter how kind, would hold the context of trying to receive payment. Suddenly he was furious at all previous generations of humans and demons for making such a pact.

Because of them, Genji would have to try ten times as hard to prove that he stayed with Zenyatta because he loved him.

Genji shook his head and then painted a sultry expression on his face. Without taking a single step, he gravitated towards the wizard until they had surpassed any kind of personal space bubble. Genji traced a finger over Zenyatta’s jaw.

“I know the _perfect_ payment…” he purred.

Then he flicked Zenyatta’s nose and frowned at him.

“You’re going to summon me _everyday_ from now on! No more long periods of no communication! Also-- stop being so weak! You’re not allowed to get sick anymore! Then you’re gonna make me curry ramen tomorrow-- and _forever!!”_

Zenyatta balked at the firm lecture that he had just recieved, his eyes wide and his mouth open.

Then laughter bubbled up from him and he held his stomach, head thrown backwards as his laughter filled the room. It took a minute for his giggles to subside long enough to allow him to speak. Zenyatta wiped a tear from his eye.

“You are truly a merciful demon, _Honourable Prince Genji,_ I have no choice but to accept.”

Genji’s face split into a smile and they giggled together until the moment and the night called them to say their goodbyes. Once more, neither wanted to speak first. Instead they spoke at the same time.

“I guess I should go--”

“Will you stay--?”

Genji was taken aback enough that he thought he imagined what his friend said. “Er, sorry, you go first.”

Zenyatta looked at the ground for a moment and gathered his courage before making eye contact with Genji, making sure he knew how serious he was.

“Stay with me tonight. Please.”

How could Genji ever say no?

 

 

 

 

 

Zenyatta lay in bed with his good friend. Only the light of the moon came through his window and all candles in the house had been snuffed out. After three days worth of sleep, no matter how tired he felt, he still had a hard time letting sleep embrace him.

So instead he emptied his mind. He let go of today’s events, he let go of Mondatta, he let go of his guilt. His mind felt clearer than it had in a long time with the impromptu meditation and he let it wash over him, picturing waves in the ocean wash over him and slowly erode his physical body.

It was an accident when he opened his eyes just as he felt himself drift off. Even in the darkness, combined with the blur of sleep, Genji’s moonlit face was as clear as crystal to him. His chin barely peeked out from under the fluffy blanket and his hands gripped the covers like a child’s might hold its precious blanket. His mouth was slightly open and Zenyatta could hear his heavy breathing.

Somehow Genji must have felt Zenyatta’s eyes on him. He opened his eyes groggily and the first thing he saw was Zenyatta beside him. He smiled.

Then it hit him.

Looking at the sleepy smile given to him by his friend, whether it was given to him as a comfort or a genuine happiness to see him, Zenyatta felt the realization punch the air from his lungs.

He loved Genji.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i really hope that i did zenyatta justice in this. i am fortunate enough to not have been old enough to remember loss, or the scare of it, and to never have experience it as an adult. at the same time, i didnt quite want to give him straight up depression. i love him too much for that, and i know how much it sucks. if i have not done it justice or you feel it could have been written better, please tell me. 
> 
> next chapter: less sad!!!


	11. The Visitor(s)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Genji faces the consequences of bringing Zenyatta to the ball.
> 
> In town, something is coming.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i would say this is kind of a filler/build up chapter but it isnt really?? its the same length as all the other ones but idk. maybe it feels like that because i wrote a majority of it within the span of an hour and successfully fried my brain.
> 
> i guess im used to throwing a bus at these two every chapter so when its actually peaceful im like '????'

The Gods must have been spoiling him.

Each morning Zenyatta woke to his best friend’s face across from him. The soft morning light streamed through the window and cast the room in a cozy dream-like feeling. The sounds of winter thawing into spring had just begun to emerge and if he stepped outside Zenyatta would smell the familiar scent of wet dirt and fresh greens.

Meanwhile, Genji dozed away only a few inches away from Zenyatta’s face. There was a rare softness there that made the demon prince look younger-- more angelic. It tested Zenyatta’s resolve each time. He did not need Genji to look any more angelic than he already was.

Perhaps he was biased; as he could not find a fault in Genji no matter where he looked. His soft lips were partially open while he slept, the sound of heavy breathing escaping from between them. His cheek squished against the pillow while his hands gripped the large blanket covering both of them. 

Sometimes he would wake in the midst of night and find Genji pressed closer, his breath warmer and his sleeping form softer. 

Zenyatta could not bring himself to move away.

Guilt nagged at him for feeling such things towards his friend, for taking advantage of Genji’s worry of him. While Genji was here to help Zenyatta and make sure he felt better, Zenyatta was watching him in the early hours of the morning while he slept and _wanted._

It would take no effort at all to reach across that tiny distance and press his lips against Genji’s skin; to caress his glowing, clear skin; to play with the dark slick hair and tuck it behind his ear. Genji slept like the dead in the mornings. Zenyatta could get away with it.

But he could not do it.

His cowardly heart fluttered in his chest and he sighed before sitting up. Zenyatta cricked his neck and stretched his arms and back towards the sky. Breathing in, he could smell the stale scent of sleep and bedsheets. To think that his bed now shared both of their scents made him warm.

One last time Zenyatta indulged in watching Genji sleep. 

For a being who did not need sleep, Genji was very bad at getting up in the morning.

Just as he was about to reach forwards and gently shake him awake, there was a knock at his bedroom door.

 

= = =

 

The Gods must have been torturing him.

Each night Genji lay in a bed that was barely large enough for one person, the human he loved right across from him. Zenyatta would fall asleep first every time and Genji would be left to watch the gentle rise and fall of his breathing. Even on nights when the clouds covered the light of the moon Genji could see perfectly well in the dark. So he was exposed to the torture that was his best friend sleeping.

Zenyatta looked softer than normal; weaker. Each night Genji was reminded just how mortal he was, how he could easily overwhelm the wizard with his aura and take what he wanted from him. Without the protection of the summoning circle Zenyatta was sharing a bed with a famished lion. It would have been a terrible idea that would cost the life of any normal human.

But Zenyatta was not a normal human.

If he was conscious, Zenyatta could throw Genji across the room before he so much as bared his knife-like fangs. He could immolate the demon to a harmless crisp or turn him into a lightning rod. All without breaking a sweat. 

Not to mention his physical strength. Genji was forced to remember exactly how fit Zenyatta was each and every night they slept in the same bed because he slept with no shirt on. In fact, the only thing he wore to bed was a pair of shorts. All of Zenyatta’s strength was bare for Genji to (drool over). His thick thighs, his defined arms, his irresistible waist and the hips that could kill a weaker demon. The way his strength was covered with a friendly layer of softness.

Genji was definitely being tortured by any Gods that may be out there.

It would take no effort at all to reach across that tiny distance and press his lips against Zenyatta’s; to hold his face close and taste his mouth; to rake white lines into his skin. He would not get away with it, most likely.

But still, the image called to him.

The image which haunted him until sleep finally embraced him. In the morning, his Zenyatta would coo and wake him up with a hand on his arm or his shoulder, smiling down at him like the absolute angel he was.

 

“Genji…” a voice tugged him from his sleep.

“Mrph…” he replied.

“Genji, time to wake up,” Zenyatta’s voice sounded like music. Maybe if he pretended to sleep then Zenyatta would keep using that gentle voice a bit longer.

“Few more minutes…” Genji buried his face into the pillow.

_“Get up, you disgrace.”_

Wait a second. That wasn’t Zenyatta.

Genji bolted into a sitting position to see his brother standing in the doorway to Zenyatta’s room. Hanzo was glaring holes into him and had his arms crossed. He looked from Genji (hair messy from sleep) to Zenyatta (no shirt) and then back to Genji.

Genji could already feel the verbal thrashing he was going to get.

“The hell are you doing here?” Genji hissed. His peaceful morning with Zenyatta was already ruined.

“I came to check up on you, but it looks like that wasn’t needed,” Hanzo leered.

Genji turned red in both anger and embarrassment. “It isn’t--”

“Yes,” Zenyatta budged in. “Genji has been excellent with helping me during his visit. However, your company is always welcome, Hanzo.”

Using the infamous telepathic sibling bond, Hanzo used the disgust in his eyes to communicate to his brother that Zenyatta was too good for him. Genji shrunk back and muttered.

“And it is always an honour to be your guest,” Hanzo bowed to the wizard. “Is everything alright? Has Genji been...” a disgusted glance to his brother. “... _respectable?”_

Genji crossed his arms and smoke blew out of his nose angrily. The sight of his baby brother turning such a bright colour was worth his annoyance at Hanzo. He deserved it for leaving for a vacation and not sending word.

“He has only been a gentleman,” Zenyatta assured him.

_(Hanzo gave his brother a disbelieving look and Genji continued to devise a plan to throttle him.)_

“I’m glad to hear it; however, I admit that I have a few ulterior motives to my visit.”

“No shit,” Genji muttered.

“Do tell,” Zenyatta elbowed his best friend.

“Perhaps you would like to dress first? I will wait outside.”

“An excellent idea,” Zenyatta hummed. “We will only be a moment.”

Once the door closed, Zenyatta pinched Genji’s ear. 

_“Itai- itai- itai--!”_

“Don’t be rude to your brother, Genji.”

“But Zenyatta,” Genji drew out the ‘a’. 

“No buts! Now cover _your_ butt up. We can always come back and relax later.”

Genji really hated when Zenyatta was reasonable (except he didn’t).

Genji especially hated the (adorable) way he said ‘butt’.

He grumbled and purposefully dragged himself to the edge of the bed in the most dramatic way possible. While ragdolling around uselessly, he could hear Zenyatta shuffle into his clothes and giggle at the sight. The sound made him want to fly out the window and sing to the world about how much he loved Zenyatta.

Looking like an idiot never felt so good.

Eventually he followed his best friend into the kitchen, only to find him and Hanzo already talking to each other. As soon as Genji got within seeing distance, his brother stopped talking. The two demon princes held eye contact with each other for a millennia before a vicious and evil grin spread across Hanzo’s face. The sinking feeling that they were talking about him washed over Genji.

Genji was going to kill his brother.

“Hanzo? Are you alright?” Zenyatta asked before following his gaze to the doorway. “Ah, Genji! Come sit with us. Your brother was just telling me why he visited.”

_“It’s ‘cause he’s an asshole,”_ Genji muttered. 

“Actually, before you rudely interrupted, I was just about to tell Zenyatta that I came to deliver a message.”

“Eh? A message? From who?” Hanzo would not be some gopher messenger for just anyone-- and besides, Zenyatta didn’t know anyone in the demon world. Maybe Hana (and Udon, if it counted), but then she could send her own message.

“From our father.”

Genji felt the room go cold, all of the comfortable warmth of a sleepy morning sucked out in less than a second. What would his father want with Zenyatta? Had he somehow found out that Genji had brought a human to the ball?

What could the boss of one of the oldest and most powerful demon bloodlines want with Zenyatta?

“I don’t believe that I’ve ever met him,” Zenyatta hummed, seemingly unaffected by the panic that Genji felt. “What would he want with me?”

“He did not want to talk with you, specifically, but with Genji’s date. The only other person who noticed you was Miss Song, and she told father that she did not know how to contact you. With Genji off on a vacation, I came to see you myself.”

“Have I done something to offend?”

“Not yet,” Hanzo ‘The Optimist’ said. “Father wanted to meet the person who Genji chose as his date over every other suitor thrown at him. _You.”_

“No,” Genji said immediately.

“He wants to invite you to dinner with our family,” Hanzo ignored his brother.

“No! This is stupid! Why does he want to nose his way into my personal life--?”

“It was mother’s idea.”

Genji shut up again.

“I would be honoured, but...” Zenyatta hesitated. “How would I blend in? I am not able to eat anything from your world.”

“I can figure something out. If it comes to it, you should be able to not eat or drink anything as a last resort. ‘Dinner’ was more of an excuse to invite you in the first place.”

Genji growled. “You were _just_ lecturing me on how Zenyatta shouldn’t come to the demon realm, and now you’re inviting him for tea time with our _parents?!_ What the hell, Hanzo?”

Hanzo returned the murderous glare that his brother was giving him. “I can only cover your ass so much, Genji. You _chose_ to make a statement and bring Zenyatta. Now you have all the attention and scandal that you wanted. You can’t blame me if you dragged your ‘date’ into this.”

In a fraction of the time that it would take to blink an eye, Genji had lunged forwards and grabbed his brother by his shirt and Hanzo had done the same in self-defence. To any mortal eye it would have looked like they teleported. Inhuman, guttural growls and hisses were spat at each other as their grips tightened enough to make their knuckles white and their shirts creak with the threat of tearing.

“Stop!” Zenyatta stood from his chair.

Immediately an invisible force grabbed both demon princes by the scruff and yanked them to opposite sides of the room. Their animalistic sounds were cut short as the air was knocked from their lungs in surprise. Their immediate instincts to jump free of the magic’s grip proved fruitless and showed just how strong it was.

“Genji,” Zenyatta whipped his head around to his friend and gave him the dreaded Disappointed Look. “Apologize.”

“What?!” he squawked. “But he--”

“Genji.”

Genji frowned deeply and dramatically just to make sure everyone knew how much he did not want to apologize. “... Sorry for jumping you, niisan.”

“Apology accepted,” Hanzo said calmly, with an air of smugness.

“Now you apologize,” Zenyatta moved on.

Hanzo gave the wizard a look of utter shock and humiliation the same way a person would look at a dog if it spoke and said ‘sit’. As he stared in confusion at Zenyatta, he realized that no one was going anywhere until he actually apologized.

“I… am sorry, Genji. For provoking you.”

Zenyatta nodded, finally satisfied, and let both of the demons go. 

Hanzo watched him curiously and actually tried to absorb the idea that this peaceful, monk-like, large hat wearing wizard was powerful enough not only to make two human-sized objects fly across the room, but powerful enough to make two extremely powerful demons fly across the room and _hold them there._

Genji watched Zenyatta with metaphorical hearts in his eyes. He had not truly forgotten how talented and powerful Zenyatta was, but he never got tired of being reminded. Not only that, but Zenyatta used his immense power to make potions for his neighbours and bake delicious cakes for his friends. Including Genji.

_(There was also smugness in Genji’s face, as his brother had finally gotten to see first hand how powerful the man he loved was.)_

“I will go,” Zenyatta said plainly.

“W-what?!” Genji blurted. “But it’s dangerous! You could get caught!”

“I did not get caught at the dance.”

“That’s because no one knew you, and you were wearing the amulet that I gave you…”

“I can wear the amulet again. Having a meal with less than a handful of demons cannot be more unsafe than standing in the middle of a palace full of them.”

“You don’t understand! My father is more powerful than the other demons you saw. He’ll be able to tell right away that you’re just using glamour.”

“Then perhaps we can work on amplifying the effects together. You’ll assist also-- won’t you, Hanzo?”

Hanzo bowed. “I will.”

Genji fumbled with more excuses and arguments, but eventually found himself without anything to say to their logic. Truly to bring the man he loved to meet his parents would be more than a dream come true, but Zenyatta was human. Terror of the possibility of getting Zenyatta killed because of his selfishness overrode his want for them to meet.

“I’m… just worried,” Genji meekly confessed. “This is more serious than the party. The attention’s gonna be all on you, and if our plan fails… you could die. I would never forgive myself if that happened.”

Without him noticing, Zenyatta had crossed the room to put a comforting hand on Genji’s shoulder. “You’ll have no blame to put on yourself if I’m caught, as it is my choice to go. Overconfidence may be a flimsy shield, but fear will only keep us from experiencing new and wonderful things. I trust my competence in magic, I trust Hanzo, and I trust you, Genji.”

Genji was left hollow of any leftover excuses and insecurities to vent, so he sighed and let his head fall onto his friend’s shoulder. “I trust you, too.”

“I am glad,” Zenyatta hummed and pet Genji’s hair. “Do not worry, Genji, I’m sure that you will find a way to make a serious dinner with your parents fun.”

Genji snorted and buried his face in deeper. All the while Hanzo watched them. He saw their comfort in each other; their intimacy, their trust. Looking at the two of them gently murmur, he could not help but think that all would be well. The comfort that they shared in each other seemed to be contagious.

But Hanzo could not bring himself to think of it as a bad thing.

He bowed to Zenyatta. “Thank you for agreeing to come.”

“Thanks are not needed. I like to think of this as a fun opportunity to see where you two grew up. Besides, I seem to have the passive talent of befriending demons.”

“I would think of it as more of a curse.”

“Perhaps. If my curse allowed me to meet you, to befriend Genji, then I would think that is a rather pleasant curse.”

Genji’s words were muffled in Zenyatta’s shirt. “I just hope that mom doesn’t show up.”

“Your mother...? Why would you wish that?”

The demon winced. “Let’s hope you don’t have to find out.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The tavern door swung open and hit the chimes attached to the frame, causing them to ring through the empty building. A giant man turned away from the inventory that he was taking to curiously look at who could be coming into his bar at such an early time.

“Apologies, friends, but the tavern does not open until lunch,” Reinhardt warned.

“We’re not here for drinks.”

“Oh? Are you here for a room?”

The strangers muttered to each other and came to a quick decision. “Yes. We will rent a room.”

“Do you each want a bed, or will you be sharing?”

Another quick conference. “Three rooms, please.”

Reinhardt beamed and stepped out from behind the bar. “Three rooms it is! What an exciting day; it is always a treat when our small town receives visitors! Are you passing through, or will you be staying?”

“Staying,” one of them said. “However, would you be so kind as to answer a quick question?”

“Ask away, my friends.”

“Does this town have any… er, magical folk?”

Reinhardt’s smile wavered as several red flags went off in his head. Truly he must have been getting old if he could not read people well enough to know whether they would be trouble or not. He straightened his back, somehow growing even taller, tall enough to tower over the strangers.

“Would that be a problem?” he asked with a terrifyingly calm voice.

One of the strangers shook their head and gestured wildly. “No, no! It isn’t like that! We just need something enchanted, and the witch in the last town could not help us.”

The large man relaxed (and consequently, so did the visitors). “You should have said so in the beginning!” he boomed. “Indeed we have a wizard nearby, but I will warn you, the trail there is filled with many dangerous obstacles. If you wish to speak with him, he should be coming down to the morning market tomorrow.”

The more serious-looking stranger stepped forwards and nodded politely. “Thank you very much. If we cannot contact the wizard today, then we would like to be shown our rooms.”

“Right this way,” Reinhardt gestured in a gentlemanly fashion towards the upstairs. However, one of the strangers hung back.

“I’m just going to explore the town a little bit. I think I saw an alchemist shop on the way here and I wanna check it out.”

“Don’t get lost.”

"Remember to be back before dark."

“Yeah, yeah,” they called from the doorway. “Cheers!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ooooo shit who are these strangers? what's goin on?   
> if u can successfully guess who the strangers are, youll win a prize!!!
> 
> (the prize is my love and support, which u all already have)
> 
> but o shit, whats this?
> 
>  
> 
> ** IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT **
> 
> I'm holding a quick little poll for everyone to participate in (because I'm a lazy ass and idk now to decide anything on my own).  
>  _Please leave in the comments who you want to confess their love first!!!_  
>  Do you want Genji to confess first? Zenyatta? ~~Udon...?~~  
>  Leave your answer in the comments!! Whoever gets the most votes will confess first.  
> The deadline is Sunday (April 16th)!


	12. I think I...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zenyatta meets Genji's father, who asks him something very important.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> pls send a deep web hitman after me i am SO tired. i wrote all of this in 4 days. pls lay me to rest permanently
> 
> do u know how long this is? its 11k. fuckin x5 the original goal of 2k a week. i wrote 11k in four days. i never want to see google docs ever again.
> 
> ANYWAYS THE POLL RESULTS ARE IN!!!  
> For 'who you wanted to confess first', the answer is:
> 
> GENJI: 31 votes  
> ZENYATTA: 19 votes
> 
> yall rly love genji confessing LMFAO. i dont blame u. hes a mess.
> 
>  
> 
> AND here are some _handy_ references on outfits during the chapter!!
> 
> Zenyatta wears this to dinner,  
> [THIS](U1343P28T3D2646999F326DT20090810181415.jpg)  
> and I drew a lil doodle of it [here](https://twitter.com/chohouse/status/851649114206945280/photo/1) cause he cute.
> 
> The Shimada parents wear something like this  
> [right here!!!](https://qph.ec.quoracdn.net/main-qimg-4c649b839276aec0095dd5f7b4b0da1e-c)

Half of a fortnight passed in what felt like a day. Planning _how_ to make the dinner date a success was easier than _enacting_ said plan. No one had ever attempted to sneak a human into the demon world, much less in front of one of the oldest and most powerful clans. Genji’s simple amulet would not hide Zenyatta from perceptive eyes for very long.

At any point in the first three days one could hear loud bickering from within the wizard’s study. Hanzo and Genji spent so much time arguing and posturing that it was a wonder that Zenyata did not need to put them on a time out (more than once). Eventually both of them worked as a team and managed to greatly multiply the effects of the glamour without making it obvious that it was a charm.

Meanwhile Zenyatta used the kitchen to conduct experiments on the poisonous food from the demon realm. At first he had tried testing spells on himself in order to gain immunity to it, but Genji swiftly shot that down once he found out. Zenyatta would have argued his side more if not for the pale expression that Hanzo wore.

Perhaps eating food that had almost shredded him from the inside in front of two of his friends would not be such a good idea.

Instead he tried to make an antidote or antivenom for the effects of demonic food. There were no other human volunteers to test any potion he made, so Zenyatta had to test drive them quickly lest his friends rush in and slap it from his hands. Of course actually swallowing anything would be silly. Instead he cast a detect poison spell on himself and drank whatever he had brewed before carefully touching the demon food with his tongue.

It took a few mouthfuls of burning plastic taste before he broke through. Finally tasting an apple from their world and not wanting to immediately spit it out shot Zenyatta’s spirits to the heavens. He hummed happily and clapped once to himself, the ingredients and spare bottles that orbited around his neck speeding up as if they also shared his excitement.

(Zenyatta remembered this habit that Genji had pointed out and felt the flush of embarrassment climb up his neck to his cheeks. He quickly reined his magic in and patted down his dust-free apron. Hopefully no one had seen that.)

((Genji had seen it. Hanzo had to smack the back of his head several times to wake him up from his affection-fueled daydreaming.) )

From there on out the preparation was less magical. Genji had run back to the palace to grab more supplies and, on the return journey, was tailed by Udon and its brothers. When Hanzo shot Genji a death stare he only shrugged and said “The Dragon wants what it wants, niisan.”

Zenyatta was wary around the larger blue dragons at first, since the first and only time he had met them they had been kidnapping him. In the human world their power was watered down so instead of taking up the entire doorway in height, they only came up to Zenyatta’s hips the same way a large dog would. Udon had stayed the size of a house cat and enjoyed sticking his nose into the ticklish parts of the wizard’s neck.

It seemed that without the order to kidnap Zenyatta, Shio and Shoyu acted quite neutral and nonchalant in his presence. (After scenting him and making sure the _strange human_ was not a threat to their master, of course.) Though Zenyatta was not prepared to be inspected so aggressively and almost fell when Shoyu butted its nose into his stomach.

While the green dragon could be found flitting from room to room at any time, Shoyu and Shio were content in finding a warm spot where light shone through the window and staying there. Occasionally Udon would visit and bother them until one grumbled and the other grabbed the green dragon in its mouth, picking it up like a mother dog and dropping it in the dragon heap.

Genji and the dragons stayed at the tower to test face paints and fake horns that would not smudge or fall off, while Hanzo accompanied Zenyatta to the village tailor.

“Genji wouldn’t know his hat from his shoes,” he scoffed. “Do you know that he shows up to meetings wearing baggy trousers and half of a shirt? ”

Somehow, knowing Genji, Zenyatta found that easy to believe.

“Ah, Zenyatta!,” Mei-Ling called as soon as they entered. “It is good to see you!”

“And you, Mei,” Zenyatta bowed. “Do you think that you could help me pick a new outfit? I am planning on going to an important dinner, and I do not want to stick out with my old robes.”

“Of course!” She chirped and dug a large book from underneath the front desk, loose papers sticking out at every conceivable angle. “What kind of template were you thinking of?”

“I wasn’t sure… you are more of an expert than I when it comes to these things.”

“Hehe, you are flattering me. Would you like to try something a little bit different? I have some very nice templates for hanfus…”

With a convenient timing that could only happen in a telenovela script, Satya came in through the front door holding two delicious-smelling paper bags. “Mei-Mei! I brought lunch!”

“Ah, Satya!" Zenyatta said. "I must be very lucky to catch you today.”

“Zenyatta, it is a pleasure to see you again,” she dropped the bagged lunches on a surface that wasn’t covered in scrap fabric or templates. “It is rare to see you commission something. Is there a special occasion?”

“He is going to a fancy dinner!” Mei sing-songed. 

Satya clicked her tongue in disapproval at the sight of the old blueprint book. “Then why are you looking through there? This is a rare opportunity... Ah, so you are looking at hanfus? Hmm, yes, that would work well. Put that away, I will be designing the piece myself.”

Mei-Ling clapped in excitement and Zenyatta waved his hands. “Ah, there is no need for such a thing! I am happy picking something from here. I do not want to take your attention away from other more important commissions.”

Satya gave her trademark Disgusted Look to the wizard. “What are you talking about? This _is_ very important. The last time you bought something from here was years ago, and I was too late to catch you to design it,” she pushed her sleeve up, exposing her prosthetic arm. “I will not waste my opportunity this time.”

Zenyatta flushed and shyly rubbed his hands together, each excuse quickly and ferociously shot down by the woman on a mission. Hanzo, who had been quiet until that point, smirked and chuckled.

“Perhaps my help was not needed after all. It seems that you are in the hands of some very capable ladies.”

Zenyatta looked at him with a frown, envious that Hanzo had the privilege of glamouring himself so the mortals around could not see him. “Abandoning me so quickly, Hanzo?” he whispered.

“I never said anything about that,” his malicious grin grew. “This may be entertaining to watch.”

“Genji may have been right about your cruelty... ” Zenyatta muttered before he was whisked away into the measurement room.

Several hours of measuring, drafting, and debating fabrics later, Zenyatta was released. Though he had only stood and let himself be tugged around all day, it felt as if he had climbed a mountain instead. He could feel every muscle, every bone, every tendon in his body cry out for rest. Who knew that playing dress up was so tiring?

“I will have to drag you around for just a little longer, Hanzo,” Zenyatta sighed. “I need to pick up cabbage for dinner tonight.”

Hanzo only huffed and nodded, not feeling fatigued whatsoever. It was entertaining-- and enlightening-- to watch those two human women practice their craft. They must have been on the same tier, or possibly an even higher one, to the Shimada family’s tailors. Memories flooded his mind, Genji and himself dutifully standing still for cat-headed and fish-headed demons to take their measurements. Genji would always begin to shake and waver in under five minutes of starting, not enough muscle training to keep his arms up for long periods of time.

Not wanting to deal with strangers trying to introduce themselves, Hanzo kept himself cloaked and away from curious eyes as he followed Zenyatta. The village was small which meant that it took less than a minute to arrive at the produce stand. 

“Jesse, I hope that I have not come too late,” Zenyatta said.

The other human turned around from his stall, which he had just begun packing up, and beamed when he saw who it was. “Aw, ‘course not! The stall is always open for you, Zen.”

“Are you sure that your father would approve of you playing favourites with the customers?”

Jesse shrugged. “What he don’t know won’t kill him. Besides, I reckon’ that he thinks of you as his favourite, too.”

Zenyatta smiled shyly. “Your family is too kind…”

“Only for you, sugar,” Jesse winked and plucked his hat from the stool nearby. “So, what can I get ‘ya?”

Hanzo narrowed his eyes at the strange human and took a step closer to examine his garb. “Is it normal for humans to favour large-brimmed hats?”

Zenyatta ignored him. “I’m just here for some cabbages.”

“What’cha makin’?”

“Just something simple; cabbage and beef stew with rice.”

Jesse made a sound that Hanzo would only describe as ‘not for children’. “Comfort food is always the best on days like these. Perfect for layin’ down near the fire and snuggling up close to your sweetheart, sharin’ your body heat together.”

Zenyatta blushed and shook his head, chuckling. “I do not think I’ll ever get used to your romantic way of describing things…”

Jesse laughed and threw his head back, making the cloaked Hanzo flinch backwards. “You’re the only one here who tolerates it! You won’t believe how many times that scary tailor woman has chewed me out. So I gotta take advantage of every opportunity I get. Jus’ your luck of bein’ my target.”

As he handed the paper bag full of veggies to his friend, Jesse leaned in and winked comically. “I don’t ever miss, y’know.”

Hanzo, seemingly oblivious to the conversation, was still leaning in and examining Jesse. He would hum or haw every time he found something strange, for example, the spurred boots. The demon stood up straight and plucked the cowboy hat from his head. “This is entirely useless on a practicality scale.”

Zenyatta jerked out of the moment and snatched the hat before Hanzo could actually pull it off of McCree’s head, while McCree grabbed the brim in surprise.

“Woah, what was that?” he asked.

“... Must have been the wind.” Zenyatta improvised poorly.

“‘S funny, I didn’t feel nothin’” Jesse scratched his neck and looked around warily, completely unseeing of the being who had meddled.

“Why is he wearing such things? What practical purpose do they serve?” Hanzo continued, floating around the human. 

He reached for another piece of clothing and Zenyatta blurted out _“Oh, my!_ I need to get home-- before it becomes dark-- and I would not want to keep you from closing up shop for any longer.”

“S’okay, really. Got nothin’ else better to do.”

“Still-- I need to be going. I apologize for such a sudden farewell.”

“Naw, I understand. Th’ path to your house is pretty scary on a sunny day, much less a dark winter evenin’,” Jesse slapped Zenyatta on the arm in a brotherly fashion. “Our offer still stands t’ have you over for dinner with the folks. Don’t want you to get lonely in that tower of yours.”

Zenyatta’s anxiousness settled and he smiled. _Same old Jesse McCree._ “I will take you up on it soon; it has been a while since I’ve seen Gabriel. Until then, have a pleasant evening, Mr. McCree. ”

“You too,” Jesse called after Zenyatta’s retreating figure. “Stay safe now, y’hear!”

Zenyatta did not want to act strange and lecture an invisible demon on common sense and personal space while they were invisible, but it seemed like he would need to very soon if Hanzo did not follow. The demon lingered curiously before slowly floating after Zenyatta.

"'Jesse McCree'..." he murmured and turned around. "What a strange human." 

He did not witness Jesse jerk up from his task and look around, spooked by whatever kind of strange things had begun happening to him. 

“... Could’a sworn I heard my name…”

 

 

 

All too soon the date of the dinner was upon them. The amulet was reinforced, the disguise was ready, and his clothes were clean and pressed. Genji helped Zenyatta step into layer after layer of his hanfu and finished by tying the sash around his waist.

Genji stepped back to admire everyone’s hard work and found himself at a loss of words.

No more sunlight came through the small bedroom window at this time of evening, so the only source of lighting was the occasional lit candle. Each small flame cast a warm glow on the bedroom and, consequently, Zenyatta. The fabric of his hanfu draped over him the same way the ocean cascaded down waterfalls and into springs. The cream colour of the hanfu’s jacket matched the light tattoos on Zenyatta’s skin and the gold fabric on the innermost part seemed to sparkle and gleam in the low light.

The dark red face paint that he wore matched both the cuffs and collars on the hanfu and the fake horns that curved inwards like a ram’s. Zenyatta had put the makeup on by himself... Genji found that he could not get this image out of his mind. Zenyatta as a demon just like him, ancient and immune to the erosion of time.

Genji wondered if Zenyatta was also a prince, or perhaps a being sent down from above. There was no way that such beauty existed in the mortal plane, no way that it could be contained within something as small as a human. The sight felt almost unreal, like he could blink and it would return to something more comprehensible. 

He wondered if he picked up Zenyatta now, if he spun him around in the air, would his flowing garment trail after him like a comet’s tail? Would he be haloed by the candle’s soft flame?

Would Genji be able to touch something so pure with hands that would burn if they touched something holy?

“Do I look okay…?” Zenyatta asked hesitantly, fiddling with his robes. “I’ve never worn something so… long.”

“You look--” Genji choked _(beautiful, wonderful, amazing, perfect)_ “--good. It suits you.”

“Thank you, Genji,” Zenyatta looked up from his clothes to his friend. “Your approval brings me more comfort than you think.”

Genji was about to blow smoke out his nose and mouth with how much that one statement killed him, but thankfully Hanzo came in and interrupted.

“Are you ready?” he asked.

“I am.”

“You have everything?”

“Yes.”

Hanzo nodded. “Wait ten minutes after I have left before arriving at the palace. It would raise suspicions if we arrived at the same time.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Genji waved him off. “We get it, paranoid niisan. Quit stalling.”

Hanzo pulled on his baby brother’s ear, talking over the ‘ow ow ow!’ in the background. “Act more respectable during the dinner.”

Then Hanzo was gone and the two were alone together. The silence pressed down and reminded them of the gravity of the situation. Not five minutes ago they were bantering and joking the way stage crew would the night of a show. But now tech was over and they were left with what would be both the opening and closing night.

Genji fiddled with his himo. “Zenyatta… I don’t think I thanked you for this.”

“You did,” Zenyatta replied. “Several times. Still the thought is appreciated.”

“You could have bailed, if you wanted to. This is getting kind of dangerous.”

“If I wanted to avoid _‘danger’,_ I would never have summoned a demon in the first place.”

“Yeah, but still,” Genji rubbed the back of his neck. “You gotta admit it’s getting kind of crazy. Ever since you met me you’ve been kidnapped, poisoned, and lowered into a pit of snooty demons. I wouldn’t blame you if you wanted to back out.”

Zenyatta hummed, as if he was in thought. Instead of replying he stepped forwards into Genji’s space and gently adjusted his jacket and haori. 

“There are some things worth braving a lifetime full of peril.”

 

= = =

 

 _”I was able to convince them not to announce your arrival,” Hanzo warned. “But they still might be… excited, to meet you. Try not to be offput.”_

For the several times that Zenyatta had visited the Shimada palace, he had never truly stepped through the front door. He had been flown down from the sky and secretly apparated into Genji’s room, but never had be been there in an ‘honest’ manner. 

Waiting behind the giant double doors was a woman in a pink kimono. Her pitch black hair was immaculately done up into a bun, contrasting with her porcelain white skin and bright red lipstick. However, down past the obi, the kimono began to appear lumpy. Zenyatta’s eyes followed the peculiarity down until his stomach threatened to jump out of his throat; underneath the bottom of the garb, where the feet were supposed to be, a large writhing mass of spider legs protruded instead. 

Genji had his arm wrapped around Zenyatta’s waist, squeezing briefly to remind him that he was safe. The familiar and comforting touch immediately helped Zenyatta regulate his breathing back to something normal, hoping that his moment of shock was too brief for anyone to notice. 

The jorogumo bowed deeply, oblivious to the human’s fright. “Welcome home, Shimada-sama.” 

Genji bowed his head slightly in response. “Will you tell my parents that I have brought our guest?” 

“Right away, Shimada-sama.” 

Instead of the light clicking one would expect to hear from spider legs walking across a marble floor, there was a heavy knocking, betraying how heavy the demon truly was under the slight frame of the human woman. 

The reality of the situation settled heavily on Zenyatta’s shoulders yet-- instead of feeling panic-- a rush of determination flooded his spirit. Being a person of importance within the demon realm would be dangerous, perhaps even life-threatening, but he wanted to stay by his friend’s side. 

“Are you okay?” Genji whispered to him. The gesture made Zenyatta warm. 

“I am fine. Thank you, Genji.” 

So they continued down the endless hallways together. Genji steered them through archways and doors with the confidence of someone who had learned the maze inside out and all the while Zenyatta could feel his skin burn where they touched. 

It was not the first time they had touched; brushed fingers, comforting hands, a shoulder to rest on. Zenyatta and Genji had made physical contact more times than either of them could count and yet-- 

Yet. 

Yet the warmth from Genji’s hand somehow bled through each and every layer of Zenyatta’s outfit. Yet the shape of it slotted in like it was always meant to be there. Yet somehow an ache dug into his bones with how much his waist had missed Genji’s hand since the dance. 

Slowly, with a mind of its own, Zenyatta’s hand slid down and laced his fingers with Genji’s. He squeezed gently and Genji squeezed in turn. 

“Sorry, we’re taking the long way,” Genji murmured. “I’m pretty sure that there’s gonna be a million people waiting for us at the front door. The staff feed off of gossip.” 

Two more turns and they came to another large pair of doors. The wood was engraved on every single inch with art. Zenyatta could pick out Edo-style depictions of towering demons and licking flames. Framing the entire piece were twin wooden dragons. 

“Genji, your home is beautiful.” 

The demon paused in front of the doors and looked up as if he was seeing the art for the first time. “Uh, yeah. I guess we do, I never really thought about it.” 

Genji’s palm seemed so small compared to the towering doors as he pushed them open with ease. Inside was a room that was even moreso extravagant. Zenyatta had heard stories and seen art of the castle in the capital with ceiling to floor tapestries that hung on every wall, but it seemed as if humans would need a few more centuries to become as wealthy as the Shimadas. 

The main dining room looked minimalist at first glance. Sliding doors sat on opposite sides of the room, casting the warm light from outside over the room. In the middle sat a low table made out of a dark wood that was polished until it sparkled like a gem. Five cushions were placed around the table; one blue, one green, one red, one pink, and one yellow. Each were embroidered with thin gold thread in such detail that Zenyatta could not see unless he was up close to them. 

But, upon closer inspection, Zenyatta discovered that he had underestimated the design. The light wood walls in reality had large cracks split through them which were filled with gold. The chandelier had tiny crystals cascading down and reflecting the light onto the room. 

It was getting kind of ridiculous. 

Almost on cue the other door opened and two people entered. One was Hanzo, who was wearing a kimono that was made with a brighter blue and had more embroidery, and the other must have been their father. 

Sojiro Shimada stood at least two heads higher than his sons. A black kanmuri sat on his head, the thin wire strip stretching all the way down to his elbows, not covering the grey that striped the hair behind his ears. His salt and pepper facial hair was meticulously shaved and styled, running down his jaw and under his nose to meet at his chin in a pointed shape. His agekubi robes looked dark enough to swallow light and trailed behind him. Dark red patterns surrounded his eyes, which were a milky white, his pale iris and pupil almost disappearing into the background. Finally his horns grew out longer than any of the demons Zenyatta had seen before this, curling like antelope antlers. 

Suddenly Zenyatta understood his friends’ reluctance towards their meeting. 

“You must be Genji’s friend,” he said, getting straight to the point. 

_(There was an odd echo in the demon’s voice. Like he could hear it inside his ears and inside his head at the same time.)_

“I am,” Zenyatta replied before Genji could butt in. He clasped his hands and bowed respectfully. “And you must be his father.” 

A grin tugged at Sojiro’s face. “I am. My name is Shimada Sojiro, and it is a pleasure to finally meet you in person.” 

“Tekhartha Zenyatta; and the honour is all mine.” 

_“Yosh!”_ Genji clapped his hands loudly. “Awkward introductions are over!” 

“Genji,” Hanzo hissed. “Don’t.” 

“Let’s bring out the food!” Genji obnoxiously ignored his brother. 

Zenyatta couldn’t help but smile just a little bit at his best friend’s behavior (even if Zenyatta was supposed to impress a thousand-year old demon). Out of politeness he covered his smile with a hand. 

But Sojiro only chuckled at his son. “I’ll have to agree with that, my duties today have left me famished.” 

The large demon sat on the red cushion at the head of the table, and only after did the others take a seat at their respective spots. Hanzo sat in seiza on his, Genji flopped down dramatically, and Zenyatta sat cross-legged politely. (To Zenyatta’s glee, Genji and Hanzo’s cushions matched the colour of their dragons.) 

It may have been a serious dinner, but one needed to take enjoyment out of what they could. 

A servant knocked at the sliding door and silently opened it. Meekly, it presented four cups and two tea pots that were still steaming. Just as silently it left. 

“So, Tekhartha-san,” the elder Shimada began. “Where are you from? I don't think I've ever seen you in this area before.” 

Zenyatta and Genji both spoke at the same time. 

“Please, just call me Zenyatta--”  
“He's from far away! Just came here for a vacation--” 

They both glanced at each other in confusion while Hanzo glared daggers at his brother. 

The elder Shimada ignored his son's outburst. “Genji, I don't believe I was talking to you,” A chill settled over the room at that flex of power. “Go on, Zenyatta,” he continued. 

“It is as Genji said,” the wizard answered in a practiced manner. “Although I prefer not to speak of home while I am here. I _am_ on vacation, after all.” 

Sojiro let his grin show his approval of the answer. “Wise words. Now, enough of the small talk, let's begin the meal.” 

On cue, the sliding doors opened again and revealed several servants carrying trays of food and a ceramic bottle of some sort. It barely had a chance to touch the table before Genji snatched it up and poured a generous amount of sake into his glass. Zenyatta heard Hanzo hiss an angry chastisement. 

But the elder Shimada only chuckled in amusement. “Try not to end the dinner before it’s begun, Genji.” 

Genji made solid eye contact with his father as he tossed back his drink. 

As etiquette dictated, Sojiro poured a drink for himself before the guests (other than Genji who had butted in). Meanwhile the others began to pile food onto their plates. Casually, Zenyatta took Genji’s plate from him and served his food before himself. Of course, he knew nothing of what was on the table, but to keep appearances up he chose the most visually appealing foods. 

Unbeknownst to Zenyatta, the demons were subtly watching him pluck buns and rolls to give to Genji. Serving another before oneself (or getting food for them) was a show of deep respect and, contextually, affection; and Zenyatta had guessed that it was shared across both of their cultures. 

_(Zenyatta would have served Genji first even if they were not posing as a couple in front of his father. It was almost an automatic action, as if he had done it a million times before. No matter the context or the time of day, Zenyatta would staunchly use such small gestures to show how much he loved Genji.)_

Thankfully before they had arrived, Zenyatta had downed the antipoison he made just for this, so it was with a practiced confidence that he chose his own plate of food. His invention had only been tested on a small pool of demonic food and none of it looked like the food on the table. Just out of personal preference he avoided the raw meat and stuck to the snacks that could pass for human-friendly. 

The first bites of supper were taken in polite silence before any conversation was resumed. “What do you do as a living, Zenyatta?” Sojiro spoke up. 

It was beginning to feel less like a life-threatening dinner and more like an interview. 

“I practice magic,” Zenyatta said, despite the waves of sudden stage fright coming off of his date. “Mostly I specialize in concocting potions and I occasionally enchant objects.” 

Sojiro Shimada perked up in interest. “How fascinating! The Shimada family has always focused on physical prowess before anything magical. Are you following in your house's footsteps?” 

“To be more accurate, I’m following in my elder brother’s footsteps.” 

Sojiro looked at his son, Genji, as he asked: “And that’s worked out for you well?” 

Zenyatta hummed. “Only in the smallest of ways. I may have emulated my brother during my youth, but he and I are very different people. Perhaps it would have been easier if I had continued… yet, in the end we are stronger for being our own person and embracing our differences. If every son mirrored every father, there would be very few variations of people, and the world would be left a more drab place. We must hold to the belief that no snowflake ever falls in the wrong place, and follow our hearts.” 

All three of the demons looked at Zenyatta with surprise. No one expected that he would speak such lengthy wisdoms during a meal. Genji relished in the pride he held for Zenyatta and smugly memorized the looks on Hanzo and his father’s faces. 

_Yeah, that’s right. My Zenyatta is so wise and awesome. Suck it!!!_

Sojiro gathered himself with a light shake and looked at his son’s date in a new light. “You are much different than I expected.” 

Zenyatta smiled. “I enjoy surprising people.” 

(Meanwhile Genji whipped his smug little face around to rub it into his brother's. Hanzo scowled at him and his disgusting pompousness. If one were to listen in on their infamous telepathic sibling bond, it would sound like; _See?? He’s a natural. Told you._ **Pay attention and stop messing around.** ) 

“May I ask one more question of you, Zenyatta?” 

“You may.” 

Holding the new information of Zenyatta’s maturity and wisdom, Sojiro skipped to the most important question: 

“What are your intentions with my son?” 

Immediately the blood of one thousand embarrassments shot to Genji’s face in the form of an obnoxious blush. “H-hey! Don’t ask something like that, Otousan!” 

“This is between him and I, Sparrow.” 

_(Genji choked in the background and whined about his father using his baby nickname.)_

“You… don’t think that this question is a bit early?” 

“No,” Sojiro said bluntly. “It has been over a century since my son has been in any relationship that was not casual. You are obviously an outlier in that regard, so it falls to me to make sure that Genji is not left behind with a resentment for any long-term relationships. You two may have only just begun being an item, but before you get _any_ approval from me, I must hear your answer.” 

_(Genji quietly wailed into his hands, suddenly harboring a grudge towards his father for saying such ridiculously sappy things to Zenyatta. Zenyatta would never think he was cool ever again.)_

__Zenyatta closed his mouth before he was caught gaping. He was… not expecting that question. Out of everything that he had braced himself for based on how his two demon friends’ description of their father, being asked his intentions with Genji was not one of them. It would have cemented the image Zenyatta held if he had asked ‘what makes you worthy of a Shimada’ and ‘how old is your bloodline’._ _

___Be still, my heart._ Zenyatta told himself. _You are already aware that the best answer is the easiest one. To speak of your dreams and affections towards the one you are pretending to date is as easy as breathing when you truly do love him.__ _

__He steadied himself with calm inhale, and then exhale, mirroring a basic meditation technique._ _

__“I…” Zenyatta shook his head. “To be completely honest, Shimada-sama, I do not know. If you are hoping for an in depth plan of our future, for a mile-long list of things I can offer to him, then you will find yourself a meager answer._ _

__“However, there are some things I do know,” Zenyatta broke eye contact with Sojiro and looked at his plate instead, dreading the expressions of the faces around him. “I do know that I want a future with him, that I dream of it with every rise and set of the sun. I do know that he gives me much, that he spoils me with his praise and his company, and that such a thing will be impossible to repay. I do know that I want to give him things in return; comfort, happiness, safety. That I wish to one day give him a fraction of the gift he has bestowed upon me. I do know that I am fond of him, that I..._ _

___“I love him,” Zenyatta’s speech snagged on the truth of that statement. “He is my best friend, and I love him. More than anything else in my life I love him. Every single cell in my body holds that truth within it. Even if we were to part ways and stay as acquaintances, or perhaps even cut off ties with each other entirely, I would still love him. He has managed to make himself a home in my heart... and that will never change. I never want it to.”_ _ _

___With that, Zenyatta had finally run out of words. His monologue seemed to swim in the air, his confessions and declarations clogging up the room until he could barely breathe. What would he see when he looked up. Would he see disappointment? Displeasure? Perhaps he would see nothing at all, and the elder Shimada’s face would be as cold as stone._ _ _

___What would he see if he dared look at Genji?_ _ _

___There was little chance that Zenyatta could keep his head down towards the floor for the rest of the visit and the trip home afterwards, so he looked up. He almost physically clenched his stomach in preparation for any flips it would do._ _ _

___But Sojiro did not look upon him with anything but softness. His stern mouth formed into a relaxed smile and his piercing eyes sparkled and brought out the crow’s feet that had hidden there before. Zenyatta felt it in his chest, in his heart, that Sojiro approved of his answer. He could feel the amusement that the powerful demon held in his aura like a corporeal weight upon him._ _ _

___So it was only natural that his head turn to his best friend._ _ _

___Genji gaped at Zenyatta in a stereotypically comical fashion and his eyebrows reached towards his hairline. Even though Sojiro had embarrassed him more than a moment ago, that bright red blush had not dimmed in the slightest. In fact, it might have become even brighter._ _ _

___Zenyatta put a finger underneath Genji’s chin and pushed his mouth closed._ _ _

___A booming laugh that echoed through both the room and everyone’s minds came from Sojiro. “What an answer,” he grinned from ear to ear. “It seems like my son has reeled in an interesting one.”_ _ _

___Sojiro placed a large hand on his youngest son’s shoulder, jolting him, but still Genji stared at his best friend. The eyes on Zenyatta had started to become unnerving with how long the demon had gone without saying anything. Had Zenyatta gone too far? Had he made Genji queasy with his faux confession? Panic crawled through Zenyatta’s bones and made a painful home in his gut._ _ _

___Genji breathed. “Zenyatta…”_ _ _

___Irrational panic told Zenyatta that he did not want to hear whatever his best friend was going to say next. He dropped his chopsticks onto the table with a clatter and shot up from his seat fast enough to change the air pressure. “I must use the washroom.”_ _ _

___The next thing he knew his legs had carried him out of the room and into the hallway. The difference was stark compared to the bright dining room behind him. Almost no light touched the halls while it was empty of staff, who had probably been ordered to stay away from that room. Zenyatta felt like he had jumped from the burning sand into a freezing river._ _ _

___His ears strained to detect anyone within the dining room getting up or coming to the door, but there was nothing. He allowed himself a moment more to make sure before he let out the air he had been holding in. Instinctually Zenyatta began his quiet breathing exercises. In… out… in… out… feel the discord drain and wash away with each lungful of oxygen._ _ _

___Once he was calm Zenyatta chastised himself. He had assumed and overreacted to a scenario he had conjured up in his head. It seemed silly now to think that Genji would be disgusted with him. They made their battle plans for this dinner together, they had come up with imaginary trivia about their fake relationship together. Of course the demon would not hate him. They were in this together. They were a team._ _ _

___With one last deep breath, Zenyatta gathered his courage and reached for the door._ _ _

___ _

___ _

___And then he felt something behind him._ _ _

___“Tekhartha-sama,” a voice came from the dark. “Please come with me.”_ _ _

___Zenyatta grabbed the instinctual alarm in his gut and used it to push himself around. Facing the darkness, he could only just make out the shape of a woman. Her white makeup almost glowed compared to the shadows on the walls. She could almost pass as a human._ _ _

___But Zenyatta could still hear the slithering of too many legs beneath her kimono, could still see the rustling and hear the strain of silk fabric trying to keep it in. He could still feel the raw energy that every demon emanated come from her._ _ _

___“Tekhartha-sama?” she asked._ _ _

___“Yes,” he answered. “I apologize for daydreaming. Please, lead the way.”_ _ _

___The jorogumo bowed deeply and turned around with a kind of dexterity that one would not expect a large spider-woman to have._ _ _

___Try as he might, Zenyatta could only get a feeble grasp of the palace’s layout while being escorted through it. The ridiculous size combined with the poor lighting hindered any attempt at figuring out where one was._ _ _

___It was only until after they had ascended a flight of stairs that his escort stopped. “Please continue going forward until you reach the balcony, Tekhartha-sama.”_ _ _

___Zenyatta blinked in surprise. “Ah, thank you…?”_ _ _

___The jorogumo flinched. “Was-- was there something else you wanted?”_ _ _

___“Oh! No, no-- I only wanted to know who I should thank for taking me here.”_ _ _

___The woman stared at Zenyatta with an expression so open in shock that it made him want to fidget. “You… wish to know my…?” she hesitated. “Ako. I am Ako.”_ _ _

___Zenyatta relaxed and gave her a smile. “Thank you, Ako-san, for escorting me.”_ _ _

___Ako seemed to jump at the sound of her own name, which made her blush slightly. “Y-You are most welcome, Tekhartha-sama… May I be dismissed?”_ _ _

___“Ah, yes. You may.”_ _ _

___With another deep bow, Ako quickly went back the way they came, almost fleeing. After the interaction, Zenyatta wondered at the image he had of demons. There was no mistaking her as a human of any kind, but perhaps shyness was a characteristic shared among both of the races._ _ _

___Upstairs there were more open windows that let the light from outside sneak in. It was not as elaborate as the dining room, but still the furniture and decorations gave off a sign of wealth._ _ _

___However, unlike the tapestries and paintings downstairs, Zenyatta vaguely recognized the characters depicted. The one that he was pulled towards seemed to have Sojiro Shimada on it. He was standing on a pile of demon corpses (which were gruesomely detailed) that had a large white sword protruding from it. Almost everything in the painting was doused in blood, everything but the sword._ _ _

___Zenyatta decided that he had idled for too long and quickly resumed his brisk walk. All of the paintings and tapestries that he passed seemed to follow the same pattern; Shojiro Shimada in a battle with a million armies or a general thrice his size, wielding that bright white sword._ _ _

___The farther he went, the more the images changed. A woman was depicted instead of a man. Impossibly long black hair cascaded from her and the bright white of her face and any showing skin was meant to draw the eye. With all the depictions of her studying or dressing, Zenyatta almost thought that she would not have any paintings of battles like Sojiro._ _ _

___Until he saw the one of her in a nightgown strangling a dragon._ _ _

___Ahead of him a paper door slid open, leading out to the balcony. Despite the fact that no one seemed to be near the door to pull it open, Zenyatta had nowhere else to go but forward. His instincts cried out, _don’t go there, danger.__ _ _

___But as he slipped outside all he saw was beauty. Ancient cherry blossom trees towered over Zenyatta, their petals leaving no inch uncovered. Any path that may have been there was covered completely by pink, so Zenyatta followed the trees until he came to a pond._ _ _

___Where he found a woman._ _ _

___She stood as tall as Sojiro, maybe taller, with black hair that cascaded down to the floor. The only thing that stretched longer than her hair was her kimono, which dragged a metre behind her and was covered in silk flowers. Without even stepping towards the woman Zenyatta could feel the power that bled off of her._ _ _

_Come here,_ a voice within Zenyatta’s head said. It sounded distinctly female but left a strange aftertaste of haw flakes on his tongue. 

_You are Genji’s lover._

“I am,” a thrill went through Zenyatta when he said it aloud. 

_It has been a long time since he took one._ the woman said. _I am glad. Maybe this will encourage him to settle down._

“I’m afraid to admit that Genji has not gotten any less mischievous since I met him.” 

She laughed gently. _Mm, of course not, it is the way he is. Do you think you have enough skill to change that?_

“Why would I want to? I love Genji because he is Genji,” There it was again-- ‘love’. “I would not want him to be anyone else.” 

It was a minute before Zenyatta heard the voice again. _You are different, aren’t you?_

Considering that Zenyatta was human while everyone Genji had dated had been a demon, she was more on the nail than she knew. 

_What is your name?_

“I am Tekhartha Zenyatta, however I go by Zenyatta.” 

_What a foreign name,_ she mused. _I am the second head of the Shimada Clan; Shimada Momo._

“You lead the clan alongside your husband?” 

_We do not give the information freely, but yes. I am just as powerful as him, if not more._

“Ah, yes, I can feel that now.” 

Momo turned her head for the first time and showed her face. It was the same face on the paintings in the hall. _’Feel it’? Do you also practice the arcane arts?_

Zenyatta sensed her energy reach out to examine him up close like Genji had before, but hers was much more large and dense. To keep her from discovering his true race, Zenyatta reached out with his magic and met her halfway. 

_Oh,_ she raised her eyebrows. _You can feel that, can you? Then you truly are a magic user-- and a talented one at that._

“You honour me, Shimada-sama.” 

Her face relaxed and she smiled. _Now that we have tested each other’s strength, I believe it’s perfectly fine to use first names._

__

Zenyatta returned her smile. “Momo-sama, then.” 

__

A gentle sound came from her that might have been a chuckle. _You’ve met Sojiro, I presume. Was he well-mannered at least?_

__

“He was,” Zenyatta said. “Although him asking me what my intentions were on our first meeting was a surprise.” 

__

_Oh goodness, he always has been so earnest when it comes to Genji. He didn’t harass you, did he?_

__

“He was polite.” 

__

_As polite as he could be rushing to the ending, I’m sure. It means nothing negative towards your person-- take comfort in that it means he sees potential in you._

__

Suddenly guilt stabbed at Zenyatta’s heart, knowing that he was accepted by both of Genji’s parents under the guise of a lie. 

__

_Did he find your answer acceptable?_

__

“He… never said so outright.” 

__

_Then how did he react?_

__

“He smiled,” Zenyatta said. “But I left soon afterwards, and was summoned here.” 

__

Momo smiled then, almost a mirror image of how Sojiro looked after Zenyatta had bared his feelings for the entire room to see. 

__

“Are you not going to ask me the same?” 

__

_I don’t need to,_ she said. _I already know the answer._

__

Before Zenyatta could get another word in, Momo turned her head to the side and held a hand up to him. _It seems like our time together has run out, Zenyatta. You are wanted elsewhere._

__

Only then could the faint sound of his name being called be heard. Even then the sound was muffled through countless walls and across a large distance. Though he strained to listen, he only recognized his name on the wind. 

__

_The exit is back the way you came,_ Momo said. _Hurry now, I’m sure that you’re sorely missed._

__

___Zenyatta bowed politely and respectfully walked towards the exit until he could not see the woman anymore, where he began to jog instead. Somehow he felt a different person after meeting Momo Shimada and Sojiro Shimada. Would he recognize himself in a mirror if he looked? Could he pick himself out from a crowd?_ _ _

__

___It was miles, or perhaps it was inches, before he bumped into who he was looking for (and who was looking for him). Genji Shimada jumped back and then grabbed onto him as soon as he registered who he crashed into._ _ _

__

___“Zenyatta!” he cried with joy. “I found you! Shit, I was so worried. You didn’t come back, and you weren’t in the bathrooms, and I couldn’t find you anywhere and I thought you might have been found out or-- Wait, you still have it-- right?”_ _ _

__

___Genji burrowed his hand into Zenyatta’s sleeve (earning a gasp from him) and rummaged around until his fingers wrapped around the omamori charm inside. He sagged in relief. “Oh thank the Gods. I-- I thought you…” Genji lunged forwards and wrapped his friend in a tight hug._ _ _

__

___“If you were hurt, I would never be able to forgive myself. It would have been all my fault. I’ve been so selfish, asking you to jump into such dangerous places just because I wanted you to… and here you are, supporting me anyways. Fuck-- I don’t deserve you…”_ _ _

__

___Zenyatta sighed. “Oh, Genji... my silly friend,” he put a hand on the back of his friend’s head and pushed him into the crook of his neck. “Always so kind... have you never considered that I might do these things and leap into danger because I care about you as much as you care about me? Standing in a palace full of fiends and coming face to face with ancient demons is only scratching the surface of what I would do for you.”_ _ _

___Genji choked. “You’re so good, Zenyatta. What did I ever do to get you as a friend?”_ _ _

___Zenyatta pet his hair. “All you ever needed to do was be yourself.”_ _ _

___And it was left at that. Genji and Zenyatta held each other tightly until both of them had sufficiently found comfort within the embrace and the urgent trepidation had faded away._ _ _

__

___ _

__

___ _

__

___Somehow both of them had found their way to one of the porches that overlooked the garden. Zenyatta immediately recognized it as the one that he had been flown to by Hanzo’s dragons, which meant that the brothers’ bedrooms were nearby. Somehow the proximity to Genji’s room brought him comfort._ _ _

___“I’m sorry, again,” Genji muttered and rubbed the back of his neck. “I should have just told my dad to quit bothering me about dates and prying into you. If I had been more firm about it, I would never have had to bring you into this viper’s nest.”_ _ _

___“Genji,” Zenyatta called him from his reverie. “I do not regret helping you, and I do not regret coming here. If I had the power to do so, I would not go backwards in time and change it. Everything that has happened to me up until now has made me who I am at this very moment; summoning you by accident, becoming your friend, being kidnapped and poisoned. the good and the bad-- it has all brought me here to this very spot. It has brought me to your home, to this very porch, with you... and I would never want to be anywhere else.”_ _ _

___ _

___Genji could do nothing else but stare at his friend in awe. To be saying such things, to wax poetic about time and self and then in the same sentence say that he only wanted to be here with Genji-- Zenyatta was going to kill him one day. With every word, with every breath, with every time that Zenyatta turned that soft gaze towards Genji, he was reminded of how much he loved him._ _ _

___The wizard looked out towards the garden now, leaning on the railing. His beautiful gold hanfu paled in comparison to the body wearing it. In fact, he could be wearing nothing but golden jewelry and precious stones, and still it would be worth as much as dirt compared to Zenyatta himself. He knew it before, had known it for a long time, but thinking of how he would move mountains for Zenyatta if he asked still bewildered him._ _ _

___Zenyatta could be peckish and Genji would climb the tallest tree in the farthest forest just to pluck the tastiest apple just for him. He could stumble on a pebble and Genji would pummel the ground until it turned into nothing but sand. He would slay a dragon, fell a kingdom, even dominate the entire demon realm if it would make Zenyatta happy._ _ _

___He could ask Genji to stay in his tower with him, and Genji would already have packed his bags._ _ _

___(But he couldn’t tell him that.)_ _ _

___Telling him would be worse than one hundred kidnappings or one thousand demon parties or one million parent meetings because-- in the end-- Genji was dangerous. Genji had _eaten_ humans before. He had felt the life drain from their vessel and slurped up their soul like it was ramen noodles. He had watched their eyes dim and their hearts stop. Demons and humans were never meant to be._ _ _

___It was a miracle in itself that the wolf had become friends with the sheep in the first place._ _ _

___Despite his unworthiness, his corruption, and his cowardice-- still he let himself dream of things that could never have. Waking up next to Zenyatta every morning, making the kitchen a mess with their food fights, caking their nails with dirt from picking herbs, becoming familiar with each and every one of his friends in town. Such things could never happen because Genji was a coward._ _ _

___It was selfish to dream of a future with Zenyatta despite everything, but Genji was a selfish person. It was the only thing he could do, in the end._ _ _

___In another time and place, he might have been less of a coward. He might have stayed with Zenyatta one more night, even after they lost a reason for him to sleep over, and crawl into the small bed with him. He would pull up the blanket until both of them were sufficiently protected from any chill and then wiggle in closer. Zenyatta would still be awake, his beautiful blue eyes watching him in the darkness. Genji would close the modest gap between them, he would cup his friend’s face with his hand, he would lean in close and say_ _ _

_I love you, Zenyatta._

___Zenyatta’s head whipped around to stare at Genji, and in that millisecond, the horrifying realization that he said that out loud kicked him in the face._ _ _

___“Uh,” Genji choked gracefully._ _ _

___Zenyatta’s eyes were as wide as dinner plates as he intensely examined his friend. “Could you… could you repeat that for me please?”_ _ _

Genji _knew_ that Zenyatta had heard what he said; the fire in his eyes affirmed so. Genji opened his mouth but the words were too thick coming up his throat. He swallowed and tried again. 

___“I, uh, said I love you.”_ _ _

___Instead of the disgust or pity that Genji was expecting from his best friend, Zenyatta looked to only become more melancholic than he already was. It made Genji’s stomach try to eat itself with worry-- with panic-- at the sight of his friend being sad because of him. Did it hurt him to hear the words? Did it disturb him?_ _ _

___Genji was about to back out when Zenyatta spoke in a quiet voice._ _ _

___“You do?”_ _ _

___Those two emotion saturated words lifted Genji up from his insecurities and hurled him onto cloud 9. Could it be…? Did he…?_ _ _

___“Yeah,” he admitted. “I love you. Kind of a lot.”_ _ _

___Before he knew it, Genji was already sabotaging himself by slipping into an idiotic rant. “Like-- you’re just so… so nice. Kind-- I mean-- and you’re so dangerous and powerful but also soft and gentle; and when you smile there’s these little crinkles at your eyes and it always makes me want to throw myself off a bridge-- in a good way! In a really good way; and sometimes I think that if I looked outside while you’re laughing that I would see flowers bloom._ _ _

___“And it kind of feels like I had this Zenyatta-shaped hole in my heart before I met you, but I didn’t know it; and now that you’re here I feel peaceful and whole. Even though I've done terrible things, had blood on my hands that will never wash off because of what I am, you still smile at me like I’m the most important thing in the world. I’ve gotten addicted to your hands, and your eyes, your smile, your laugh-- your everything! I could get drunk off of the happiness I feel when I’m with you.”_ _ _

___“Oh, Genji…” Zenyatta whispered._ _ _

___“And it’s okay if you don’t feel the same way,” Genji steamrolled on. “We can totally stay friends but it wouldn't matter because I would still be happy. Even if nothing ever happens between us I will still be happy as long as I have you by my side. No matter where fate takes us and no matter how much time passes, I’ll still love you.”_ _ _

____“Genji!”_ _ _ _

___“Urk--!” Genji snapped his big mouth shut. “S-sorry… kind of got car--”_ _ _

___“I love you too.”_ _ _

___“--ried away there wait what?”_ _ _

Genji finally mustered up the courage to look at his friend’s reaction and what he saw could have set his hair aflame. Zenyatta was smiling-- but not his normal smile; not his polite smile or his amused smile-- it was a smile that Genji had never seen before. He was torn between _‘how could I have forsaken my duty enough not to add that to my mental scrapbook of Zenyatta smiles’_ and _‘I never want to look at anything else ever again’._

___“I love you too, Genji.” Zenyatta absolutely beamed at him, and trying to retain eye contact was like trying to stare at the sun._ _ _

___Genji used all of his available brain power to assemble the best reply he could. “You... do?”_ _ _

___Zenyatta came forward and held Genji’s face in his hands. “I do.”_ _ _

___ _

___Zenyatta and Genji stayed there in comfortable silence just holding each other, savouring their closeness. This close, they could breathe in the other’s scent and feel their warmth radiate off of them. Zenyatta knew the familiar scent that Genji held; the in-humanness of how strong and pure he could smell red bean paste and fresh rice dough. Genji luxuriated in Zenyatta’s aroma; human sweat and freshly washed clothes and the unmistakable trace of his soul._ _ _

___Genji spoke first. “Can I…? Can I kiss you?”_ _ _

___Zenyatta’s laugh only fired up the boundless love that squeezed Genji’s heart. “You may.”_ _ _

___Slowly, cautiously, Genji closed the already small gap between their faces. Electricity stabbed his system like a static shock, if static shocks could rain from the sky and cause a tree to combust when hit. Zenyatta’s lips were faintly chapped and Genji could feel the grooves that a split lip used to inhabit. They were soft, plump, wonderful and oh so human enough for Genji to lose himself in._ _ _

___Genji’s lips were smooth and perfect. Upon touching them, Zenyatta was struck with a starvation that he did not know he had. He could feel Genji press forward, try to get closer and closer until they both took up the same exact space. Zenyatta could feel how eager he was, how he wanted his just as much as Zenyatta, and the final scraps of insecurity fell away._ _ _

___Then Genji impatiently placed his hands on the back of Zenyatta’s head and neck and pulled them impossibly closer. They were a jumble of hands and lips and touching noses as the kiss turned from serene to desperate._ _ _

_(Genji murmured ‘Can I...?’ and Zenyatta breathed in his air ‘Please.’’)_

___Zenyatta came up for air and Genji hovered millimetres away to kiss him again as soon as he refilled his lungs. Genji tilted his head and let his tongue delicately prod at Zenyatta’s lips, which earned him a gasp in surprise and a contented sigh. With that permission he tasted Zenyatta’s lips eagerly, enjoying the faint remnant of the jasmine tea they had been drinking during dinner; the lips which pliantly opened and let Genji in._ _ _

___Genji groaned in unadulterated desire at the wetness and the taste of Zenyatta’s mouth, his knees going weak as Zenyatta showed his appreciation by wrapping his tongue around Genji’s. Being a demon; it was not the lack of oxygen that slowly turned Genji into a pool of jelly, nor was it the exhaustion of standing for so long._ _ _

___Genji could lift Zenyatta up if he wanted. He could pick up a horse and throw it to the next kingdom with his unnatural strength. He knew he was strong and perfectly capable of taking lead but-- he could feel Zenyatta’s arms hold him still, he could feel his hands directing Genji, how it made his muscles flex through the kiss. The strength that Zenyatta had was nothing but natural in comparison with Genji_ _ _

___Zenyatta and Genji let themselves get lost in one another. The passage of time slipped away, their surroundings blurred, and any other noises were muted. There could be an attack on the castle or an explosion and still neither would see anything but each other._ _ _

___All that mattered to Genji at that moment was Zenyatta, and all that mattered to Zenyatta was Genji._ _ _

__

___ _

__

___When they finally parted both were flushed with happiness and exertion. Neither of them felt in a rush to remove their hands from the other or widen the distance between them. At the same time, both Genji and Zenyatta were hit realization all over again;_ _ _

_I love him._

___Genji’s smile burst through. “Wow.”_ _ _

___Zenyatta snorted. “I agree.”_ _ _

___Genji leaned forwards and bumped their foreheads together once more, barely able to contain the need to pull him close, to crawl within Zenyatta. “What do you want to do now?”_ _ _

___Smiling, Zenyatta landed one more surprise peck on Genji._ _ _

___“Let’s go home.”_ _ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> please end my suffering. im gonna take a nice break and start chapter 13 later in the week. yall better be happy with these gays that i gave u.
> 
> also i kind of frankensteined the cultures around a bit. theyre demons, so they arent technically in japan? so like i mixed in what i knew abt japanese etiquette and the chinese etiquette that i learned growing up. if i offend anyone please tell me!!!
> 
> SO with the poll, i wrote both confessions and then stuck with genji cause he had the most votes by YOU! i might post the other one on tumblr or my patreon, i dunno. but tbh im kinda sad that zenyatta didnt get voted in because that shit killed me. i died while writing my own fic. im in the grave right now
> 
> anyways i love yall and i read every single one of your comments, even if i dont reply!!!!! everyone had such nice things to say last chapter and i really hope that this one fulfills your expectations.
> 
> now im gonna lay down for a bit,,,,


	13. I Can't Sleep

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Genji and Zenyatta go home after a long night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **JUST SO U KNOW THIS CHAPTER IS NSFW!!!!!! IF U DONT LIKE NSFW SKIP THIS CHAPTER!!!!**  
>  this will be the ONLY nsfw chapter in the fic. i wanna focus on their relationship and characters more. also i suk
> 
> to any1 thinking that this will be pron-free, sry!!! if it makes u feel better this will be the only porny chap. you dont need to read it in order to follow along w/ the story. skipping this chapter will not take anything out of your reading experience
> 
> ALSO i saw a few ppl point out the interaction between hanzo and mccree. i added that little detail because i got a few comments asking for mchanzo, but i dont want to make them a background pairing and put this in the mchanzo tag when its not rly mchanzo. that was probably the only time that they will see each other in my fic.  
> however, you guys can come up with however many sequels or side stories as you want!! just because this fic is from zen and genji's POV doesnt mean that smth didnt happen. your imagination is the only limit you have, and since i wont be writing more technically itll be your canon. ;)
> 
> enjoy!!!

They were still holding hands as they appeared back in Zenyatta’s attic, smoke curling around their ankles and licking at their entwined fingers. They looked at each other, which they seemed to not be able to stop doing for the past ten minutes, and grinned when they met eyes as if there was some kind of inside joke just by making eye contact. Genji squeezed the hand in his and it squeezed back. 

Genji and Zenyatta giggled as they bound down the tower stairs, unable to stop smiling or looking at the other. Just being able to look at the one they loved and see the mutual sparkle of affection was a drug. There was a ticklish warmth on the skin that touched, like electricity was prickling from one person to the other. Would it disappear if they let go? Would it stain their skin like a tattoo?

Shoes were kicked off in the foyer (Genji adding flair and making it fly across the room and land directly in the shoe pile) while they tried to keep balance and not pull the other to the ground. There was no one to hear, no one to wake up, yet still they shushed each other as they laughed down the halls.

It was so natural for both of them to slip into Zenyatta’s room. They had been sharing the bed for days already, Genji had his own pile of clothes hung over the back of a chair. 

But when the door closed behind them, they finally saw what floated in the air in between them. The giggles faded off as they looked from their hands back to each other and back to their hands again. Though they had just bared their hearts to each other only moments ago, nerves had come back with a vengeance. 

“Uh,” Genji said. “Do you… want to sleep?”

Zenyatta’s cheeks went dark and Genji resisted the urge to lunge forwards and kiss them (not that he was not allowed to, but because he wanted to hear Zenyatta’s answer). “I ...am a bit tired,” he admitted. “But I find my mind running too fast to get anywhere near sleep.”

Genji did what he wanted then and kissed those warm cheeks, earning a noise of surprise and affection from Zenyatta. He had always been weak when it came to resisting his selfish desires. 

“Can we just… sit together? Or lay together? Would that be to your approval?”

Honestly Zenyatta could say that he wanted to go outside in the middle of the night and sleep in a snow bank and still Genji would follow him like a puppy. “There’s nothing else I would want to do.”

The answer got a shy smile from Zenyatta (which Genji pecked again). It was almost habitual, both of them getting ready for bed at the same time, although this time they were both much more overdressed. Zenyatta began to shrug off the outermost layer of his hanfu, but a hand grabbed his wrist.

“Wait,” Genji said. “I want to… can I do it?”

The answering smile could have fueled a thousand suns and warmed a million galaxies. Just as carefully as earlier, Genji went backwards in his dressing of his best friend. Layer by layer he gently pulled each piece of the beautiful outfit off, making sure to carefully set it aside to hang up afterwards.

Eventually Zenyatta was left in an undershirt and a pair of shorts, each made of soft and light fabric for wearing under larger pieces. Genji slowed down to a snail’s pace on the very last layer, letting himself indulge in the view. He needed to memorize this, to burn into his brain how it felt to unwrap Zenyatta until he was bare.

Then Zenyatta returned the favour and helped his friend take off his kimono. It had much fewer layers than the hanfu, but it still took just as long, as Zenyatta was taking his time. He wanted to remember the feeling of a silk kimono under his fingers, the soft resistance the fabric gave before slipping away from Genji’s shoulders. His hands mapped out each pieces while it was still on Genji before pulling it off and moving on.

After they had undressed and both stood in only underclothes, Genji and Zenyatta shared putting both of the outfits away and then eagerly found each other’s hands once more, their fingers interlocking like powerful magnets. 

Together they performed their nightly rituals in the bathroom (as well as they could with only one available hand), the custom almost as calming as a small meditation session. They moved with grace and practice as one, reaching past arms and passing the other what they wanted.

“You still have your makeup on,” Genji reminded Zenyatta.

“I had almost forgotten! It feels so smooth and comfortable, but I suppose I have you to thank for that,” Zenyatta smirked.

“Yeah, well,” Genji rubbed the back of his neck. “You’re welcome! Now let me help you wipe it off, before it gets stuck there.”

“You don’t sound very concerned about that.”

Genji only hummed in a non-suspicious manner and smiled. Armed with a warm wet cloth, Genji sat his friend down on a stool and began to wipe off the red swirls and lines on his face. Which turned to light scrubbing soon after. Zenyatta chuckled as he watch his friend stick out his tongue in concentration.

“Perhaps you made it too well,” he said.

But eventually Genji got the hang of it and cleaned off all of the paint inch by inch. He dripped more warm water onto the spirit gum that was holding the faux demon horns and carefully pulled them off.

What was left over was a clean and slightly dark Zenyatta (after all of the scrubbing) with only the dots on his forehead leftover. Having stepped back to look at his work, Genji was hit in the chest by his affection for his friend. Zenyatta was sitting with him in a bathroom in only undergarments and suddenly a vision of a possible equally domestic future flashed before his eyes. 

Genji kissed the dots on Zenyatta’s head, who pulled him down to return the favour.

Clean and fresh, the two went back into Zenyatta’s bedroom. Genji leapt and landed with a WHUMP on the fluffy sheets, making the mattress bounce slightly (which he always did every night). He waited for Zenyatta’s normal response of a huff and a mimic of the dramatic leaping... but it did not come.

Just when Genji was about to crane his neck up to check on his friend, hands shot at him and shoved under his shirt. He shrieked as the fingers tickled and poked his sides, kicking out wildly as he tried to control his laughing. Unfortunately for him, Zenyatta had moved to a safer spot and crawled onto his friend to straddle him as he tortured him.

Genji was torn between slapping the hands away or defending his vulnerable sides and with the tickling continuing he was in no shape to actually decide, so he clumsily flailed and slapped at Zenyatta’s chest as he trapped him. It was only after the screams had turned into wheezes and pleas for mercy that Zenyatta eased off on the tickling. 

Zenyatta watched his new boyfriend lay exhausted on his bed and he bent forwards and kissed him. Genji whined into the kiss, still trying to catch his breath, and weakly grabbed at Zenyatta’s tank top. They kissed and they kissed until Genji had regained a normal breathing pattern and Zenyatta had melted into his boyfriend’s body.

Face in Genji’s neck, Zenyatta chuckled.

“Are you satisfied?” Genji asked.

“Mm, I am,” Zenyatta said. “After all, I was able to experience just how cute my demon prince boyfriend is.”

Genji squawked in indignation, which made Zenyatta giggle even more. Face burning hot with embarrassment, the demon grabbed a hold onto Zenyatta’s shirt and flipped them over so that Genji was straddling his waist.

“Oh no,” Zenyatta sighed. “You have me trapped!”

“That’s right,” Genji chuckled and took on an exaggerated deep voice. “I will have your soul and your heart.”

“My heart? I’m sorry to dash your hopes, sir demon, but I am a taken man.”

Genji snorted and blushed. “I will win you, wizard, and you will give me your heart freely.”

“Oh, Genji,” Zenyatta smiled and reached up to cup his face. “You have always had it.”

Several expressions (surprise, affection, embarrassment) flashed over Genji’s face before he clapped both of his hands over his own face, muffling the defeated wail he made. He shook his head while Zenyatta laughed and slip his hands down to Genji’s hips.

“Zenyatta…” he drew out the ‘a’ in a long whine. “You can’t just do that to me! I wasn’t ready!”

“A pity, as I will be saying such things very often.”

“Okay, but only if I get to do it too. I need to get you back for this.”

“You have my permission.”

Genji chuckled and dropped the hands from his face to steady himself on Zenyatta’s chest instead. Which is, of course, when he realized just what position they were in. Red spread from the tips of Genji’s ears to his face in a matter of seconds and Zenyatta looked at him confusedly until he caught on as well.

“Uh,” Genji said. “I can-- I’ll move--”

“... Wait,” said Zenyatta. As Genji was about to lift off and move away, he had tightened the hold he had on Genji’s thighs. The strong grip made Genji jolt, arousal spiking through him. Zenyatta turned a shade darker. “I would… I would like you to stay.”

Genji was pretty sure that his new boyfriend was going to kill him. His body gave him a gentle warning that blood would start flowing downwards very soon if he didn’t stop; as if he would want that. “Then I’ll stay.”

There was another pause between them, the atmosphere starting to thicken in the air and hang over them. Neither seemed to be able to muster up the courage to speak first.

Zenyatta broke first. “Kiss me,” he murmured. “Please.”

How could Genji ever say no to that?

He eagerly bent over Zenyatta’s torso and locked their lips together. Like before it started slow, but this time there was a heaviness in it. It progressed faster and became heated in only moments. Genji dug his hands into Zenyatta’s shirt and gripped the fabric like he could float away any second. The tug made Zenyatta groan quietly, which Genji enthusiastically swallowed in the kiss.

When Genji tried to move into a more comfortable position, a noise of protest came from his boyfriend. He had assumed that Zenyatta feared he would break the kiss; however, it was only seconds later that he felt the real reason. Genji moved backwards and jolted when he felt something hard brush against his ass, arousal hitting him like a train.

Zenyatta broke the kiss. “I-- I’m sorry, I should have warned you. We can stop if--”

“No!” Genji blurted out a little too fast. “I mean-- no. I don’t want to stop. Do you want to stop?”

Genji would always remember the deep dark shade and shy expression that came across his boyfriend’s face. He turned it away, towards the bedsheets, as if he could hide it. “... No.”

A mischievous idea came upon the demon, and he sat up again, leaving a bewildered Zenyatta. “Then what do you want?”

Zenyatta’s horror increased twofold as he realized just what Genji wanted. “Genji….”

“I’m not going to kiss you until you tell me,” Genji purred. “In explicit detail.”

Zenyatta let go of his boyfriend’s thighs to cover his burning face, but was stopped by Genji prying them away. So Zenyatta, having no other options, took a breath and gathered his courage.

“I want you to kiss me,” Zenyatta said. “And I want you to move your hips again so that I can feel you. So I can feel how I affect you just as you affect me.”

Hearing Zenyatta use his smooth voice to say such things made Genji’s cock twitch. He moved back to his original position like he had promised and grinned in Zenyatta’s face as he grinded down on him.

A gasp escaped out of Zenyatta’s throat and he instinctively moved his hips, making Genji groan breathlessly. He bent down once again so that they were making eye contact, but still stayed too far away to kiss. He wanted to watch Zenyatta, to memorize all of his expressions.

Genji began moving his hips in a slow rhythm, drinking in the way Zenyatta fidgeted and squeezed his grip on Genji’s thighs. After a moment, Zenyatta was moving his hips along with Genji’s, pushing him slightly off the bed.

Genji sucked in a loud breath when his cock finally found friction on Zenyatta, already painfully hard. Zenyatta shuddered with arousal when he felt the hard shape of Genji against him. He sat up and examined his boyfriend, locking onto the small wet spot on his shorts.

“Genji…” Zenyatta whispered.

“Yeah,” Genji replied, knowing exactly what he was going to say. “Yeah, me too. Let’s get out of these.”

Zenyatta reached behind and took off his tank top, and with every inch revealed Genji stroked his hands over that exposed chest. He took a moment to sit back and admire Zenyatta’s body. There was obviously a fair amount of strength there, yet it was all covered with a subtle layer of softness. Hard enough to lift Genji without a sweat, but soft enough to embrace comfortably. 

He was perfect.

He stroked his palms over Zenyatta’s pecs reverently, almost drooling over the size and feel of them in his hands. When he could finally tear his eyes away, he found Zenyatta’s face, looking apprehensive. 

Genji was just about to step it back and slow down, to assure his boyfriend that they didn't need to go any further, until Zenyatta asked a question quietly. 

“Am I… to your liking?”

The fires of his love flared and drove him into a passionate reassurance. “Shit yeah, Zenyatta. I don't think I've ever seen anything so perfect,” he bent down and placed a kiss on Zenyatta's stomach. “So to my liking, as you,” another kiss on his chest. “Nothing so amazing,” a kiss on his collarbone. “So wonderful as you.”

A spike of smugness hit the demon when he saw the look of awe and shock on Zenyatta’s face. Retribution for the sappy confession earlier. 

But he could not hold back his hunger for much longer. Genji grinded back on Zenyatta’s cock so that he could feel the shape pressing between his ass cheeks, giving him a phantom sensation of what it might feel like to be fucked. The idea sent more powerful arousal through him. 

“Zenyatta,” Genji murmured and lightly tugged on the band of Zenyatta’s shorts. “May I…?”

“Are you sure?” Zenyatta asked. “You don't need to--”

“I want to,” Genji cut in. “Please, let me.”

Zenyatta swallowed thickly and nodded. “Yes-- yes, I am all yours, Genji.”

_All mine._

Genji’s brain locked onto that one statement and he bit back a groan. He slid down Zenyatta's body and began to peel back the last layer between Genji and his prize. 

_All mine. All mine._ His inner demon chanted, it's base desire fulfilled. _The human is finally all mine._

Genji watched each inch of new skin revealed with rapt attention, biting his lip in anticipation. Even just the barely visible V on Zenyatta's hips was threatening to drive his demon crazy. 

He swallowed hard when he finally got what he wanted. Zenyatta’s hard cock sat on his stomach, precum only just starting to leak onto his beautiful skin. Genji held himself back even though he wanted to dive in and lick it clean. 

“Beautiful,” he wondered, remembering Zenyatta’s hesitation about his own body. “All of you is so beautiful. How did I ever get so lucky?”

Zenyatta covered his mouth as Genji trailed a curious finger along the length of his dick. “Do you know how crazy you're driving me? Do you know how much you're ruining me?”

Zenyatta shook his head and Genji moved forward for the last time to kiss him. “Let me show you.”

Genji finally let himself go and pressed his cheek to the inside of his boyfriend's thighs. He ducked in close and breathed in the scent of human, of sweat and arousal and Zenyatta. Never had he imagined (and he had imagined many times) that he would become so compromised. 

His right hand held to the underside of Zenyatta’s thigh and the other went in to touch his balls. He could hear a sigh come from above him, a hitch of breath, and it drove him to new heights. He wanted to do this right, to do it perfectly. Zenyatta deserved only the best. 

A gasp was torn from Zenyatta’s throat when Genji licked up the underside of his cock and hummed at the taste. His thighs jumped, held tightly by his boyfriend, as a hot and wet tongue played with the tip. 

Somehow, knowing that it was Genji, and knowing that Genji loved him and desired him, increased his sensitivity tenfold. 

Genji played with Zenyatta’s balls and kissed along his cock, feeling like he was growing more and more powerful with each gasp and sigh of his name pulled from Zenyatta. 

When he could resist it no longer Genji wrapped his lips around the head of Zenyatta’s cock, moaning in empathy as Zenyatta did. There was nothing sweet nor food-like about the taste of him, but all the same it made Genji drool. 

Ever since Genji had realized his feelings, he had wanted nothing more than to duck under Zenyatta’s robes and press his face into his crotch, to breathe in his scent and taste his skin. He wanted to drive Zenyatta to the brink and make him feel just as desperate as Genji felt. 

Genji swirled his tongue around the cock in his mouth, revelling in the shaking of Zenyatta’s thighs and the quickness of his breath. He popped off for the last time, making sure that his boyfriend watched him lick his lips and smile, before he dove in again. 

Genji sighed at the feeling of Zenyatta's thick cock on his tongue, how if filled out and thickened in his mouth. The thought of sucking him while flaccid and feeling him get hard in his mouth made his dick hurt from how hard it was. If he wasn't careful, he might get addicted. 

Genji was never one to be careful. 

He pulled back to swipe his tongue over the slit before going down again, each time taking him deeper and deeper until he felt the tip but the back of his throat. He groaned around Zenyatta, making him moan from the vibration. 

Genji felt two hands rest on the back of his head, fingers twitching in his hair like it physically tortured Zenyatta to keep himself from completely grabbing on. Later, later he would have Zenyatta grab his hair like a horse’s reins and fuck his mouth. 

He removed the hand under Zenyatta's thigh to cup the hands on the back of his own head. 

“Genji-- sorry, I…”

But instead of pulling them off, Genji pressed them to his head and looked up, telling him what he was allowed to do. Zenyatta let out a shaky sigh. 

“Oh, Genji, you're amazing,” he murmured. “You never cease to prove that every moment I am with you.”

Something so sappy shouldn't have gone straight to Genji’s cock, but it definitely did. It was getting to the point that it was painfully hard and every shift of his shorts overstimulated him. He might come in his pants at this point. 

Zenyatta gripped into Genji’s black hair, making his scalp sting in the best way, and he happily went back to work. 

He reveled in the twitches and jerks of Zenyatta's thighs, how they attempted to both squeeze his head and open wide at the same time. He took his cock down to the back of his throat a few more times, loving the bump in his throat and the stretch of his jaw, before he got an idea. 

He mentally prepared himself and then proceeded to take Zenyatta to the root. There was a noise of protest from above as he pushed down past Genji’s tonsils and then a cry as he felt the tight hot heat of his throat. Genji groaned at the pleasure pain of the stretch and wondered if there was a bump on the outside of his neck.

Both of them moaned as Zenyatta tried to hold himself back and not thrust in, while Genji felt the perfect tug of his hair. Genji pulled back all the way to the tip and looked up at his boyfriend. Zenyatta looked absolutely wrecked, his skin flush and his pupils blown out. He had his mouth open as he panted for air and he had been watching Genji the entire time, eyes filled with wonder and love.

_Love. For him._

With new purpose, Genji went back down Zenyatta’s cock until his nose touched the skin of his pelvis. He took deep breaths when he could as he slowly began to speed up, loving the way that dick in his throat felt. Zenyatta was a writhing mess at that point. His hands gripped for dear life to Genji’s sleek black hair and he couldn’t control the way his knees buckled and his toes jerked.

“Genji--” Zenyatta gasped. “Genji, I’m getting close; pull off….”

But the warning had only added more vigor to Genji’s bobbing. He hummed and vibrated around the fat cock in his throat, his spit making beautiful sloppy sounds. With every _‘ah, ah, ah,’_ he became harder, moved faster, until Zenyatta was tapping the back of his head and choking on his words.

The second he felt Zenyatta’s cock thicken and twitch, he buried it to the very back of his throat and got acquainted with Zenyatta’s pubic hair. The gasps and groans from above were music to his ears and the hot cum pouring down his throat felt like the most delicious reward that Zenyatta could ever make for him.

Eventually he pulled back as the last weak spurts of cum dripped out. He let the cock sit on his tongue and fill his mouth, sucking on it like a lollipop when it was almost done and earning a cry from Zenyatta. It tasted salty-- musky-- nothing like any of the demonic bodily fluids he had played with before. It was absolutely human. His inner demon purred in satisfaction.

“Genji…” Zenyatta sighed, making his boyfriend look up. “Come here.”

With open arms Zenyatta greeted Genji, pulling him up until their faces were at the same height and he could kiss him. A spike of lust stuck Zenyatta when he realized that he could taste his own cum on Genji’s tongue.

He reached down and palmed Genji’s cock through his underwear, making him whimper and jerk his hips. The front was absolutely ruined with precum and the body beneath was burning hot. Zenyatta slipped his hand inside until the head of Genji’s cock poked out from its cloth prison. He needn't worry about lubrication with all the precum that was available.

“Genji, you’re amazing,” Zenyatta murmured into their kiss as he began to stroke Genji. “Absolutely amazing. I knew it before, but you have only proven how lucky I am to have you.”

The praise and sappy comments went straight to Genji’s cock and he whined with the pain of how hard he was, how close he was. Zenyatta was going too carefully to do anything more than slowly bring Genji to the very edge and keep him there. He broke away from the kiss, too weak to hold himself up on his elbows anymore, and pressed his mouth to the side of Zenyatta’s neck.

“So wonderful. Do you know how beautiful you were down there? How right you looked in between my legs? It took everything I had to hold myself back from fucking your face with the way you were so happy, lips wrapped around me. Do you have any idea how much you ruin me?”

Genji whimpered and shook his head in Zenyatta’s neck. He tried to thrust into Zenyatta’s hand, to push himself off the cliff, but every time Zenyatta would just move with him. Genji had never been so hard before in his entire several-century year old life. But somehow, instead of staying trapped there, his impending orgasm only seemed to grow and grow past the point that he would have normally cum.

“P-please, Zenyatta,” Genji gasped. “Please, I wanna cum-- it hurts.”

Zenyatta gently shushed him and rubbed his back in soothing circles. “Then you may have it, Genji. You have more than earned it. Let me take care of you.”

And Genji did. He let Zenyatta take complete control over his pleasure, and Zenyatta thanked him for the gift by tightening his grip and jerking him off faster and faster. Genji had never been so far past his normal threshold, never so far past the point of cumming, and the build up felt like it hurt; only in the best ways. He shuddered and shook with the effort of keeping himself up and not just completely collapsing on top of his boyfriend.

Then, with a particularly good twist, and a murmured _‘I love you’_ from Zenyatta, his orgasm finally came.

Genji cried out as it hit him hard enough to white out his vision. He could feel it in the tips of his toes and in his teeth. He was unaware of how he thrust into Zenyatta’s grip, how his lips were parted and mouthed at Zenyatta’s neck. He could only ride the wave of pleasure until he could think again.

It felt like an hour before Genji came down again, and by that time he felt like he had run a marathon without preparation or stretching. His legs couldn’t hold him up anymore and he fell on top of Zenyatta’s bare chest, his own cum seeping through his shirt and making it tacky. There they lay, together, until their breath was caught and their endorphins were back to normal.

“Genji,” Zenyatta murmured.

“Mrph…” he replied.

Zenyatta chuckled and pet Genji’s hair, earning a pleased purr from the demon. “I would like to lay here as much as you, but this is going to get uncomfortable very soon.”

Genji made an annoyed groan with his voice and dramatically pushed himself off of Zenyatta so he knew how much he didn’t want to move. Even though Zenyatta was right. Which he was always.

He went as fast as he could cleaning up. Genji pulled off his shirt and used it to wipe the rest of his cum off of Zenyatta’s chest and hand, throwing it towards the corner of the room when he was done. Zenyatta, meanwhile, had been pulling up the covers so that they both could get into bed.

That plan was foiled when Genji flopped into the mattress and, coincidentally, the edge of the blanket. 

“Genji,” Zenyatta huffed. “You’re on the blanket.”

“Mmn,” Genji said.

“You have one warning.”

Genji groaned louder and longer.

“Have it your way.”

Genji yelped and flailed as he felt himself rise into the air without his own volition. Below him, Zenyatta hummed pleasantly and finished fixing up the bed with one hand while the other kept his boyfriend in the air.

After Zenyatta had climbed in, he carefully lowered Genji onto his usual side of the bed. Genji, who had his arms tucked into his sides and his legs ramrod straight.

_(Of course he was being silly, as demons could and did float for travel often.)_

Zenyatta looked at him and snorted, which was exactly what Genji wanted. Finally having gotten it, he grabbed the sheets and pulled it back, feeling the air move as it floated down onto them. For a moment they watched each other, affection and love clear on their face along with the knowledge of what they had just done together.

“Earlier the sky showed that it would snow tonight,” Zenyatta mentioned. “Perhaps we should lay together and share heat.”

“Hmm, did it now?” Genji asked with a smirk (though he had moved over as soon as Zenyatta said ‘lay together’).

Zenyatta placed a hand on his chest and looked taken aback. “Are you calling me a liar, Genji Shimada?”

Both of them ruined the scene by smiling ear to ear at each other.

“Where is your proof that you aren’t a liar?” Genji stuck his nose up.

“Perhaps I have no way of disproving that I lie; however, I will prove that I tell only the truth by affirming the most truthful thing in the universe.”

“What is that? That water is wet, or grass is green?”

“Neither,” Zenyatta lowered his voice into a conspiratorial whisper, beckoning Genji closer. “Now what I am about to say is the most scientifically proven and magic-proof fact in the very universe. You must listen carefully.”

Genji couldn’t help but get swept into the scene, watching Zenyatta with rapt attention.

Zenyatta leaned forwards until their noses almost touched, his mouth slightly parted and his eyes sparkling. Genji could feel a phantom touch where neither of their noses met yet. Zenyatta took a dramatic breath.

Then touched their noses together.

 

_“I love you.”_

 

Genji coughed and yelled, kicking the sheets and waving his hands as Zenyatta burst into playful laughter. “YOU GOT ME _AGAIN!!_ I CAN’T BELIEVE THIS!! I’M SUPPOSED TO BE READY FOR ANYTHING, I’M A DAMN NINJA!”

He stopped his tirade and peeked over at the man beside him. Zenyatta held his sides and squeezed his eyes shut as he laughed. Once again Genji had to catch himself before he clapped twice. 

As Zenyatta came down from his laughing fit, Genji slid into his arms and wrapped Zenyatta around him like a blanket. “I’ll get you back, you know.”

Zenyatta smiled at his through his eyelashes and squeezed the embrace lightly. 

“I look forward to it.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i havent written smut in 84 years??? the fic i posted the other day was the first time in a while that i had attempted it in a long time, and while it was a gift, i also took it as an opportunity to warm up for this chapter
> 
> on another note, im going to be writing much more on the side. my priority of each week will be the next oni and okashi chapter, but if i finish it early then ill jump onto something else. i already have another long fic in the works, and several short one-offs half done. 
> 
> thank you, everyone, for encouraging and supporting me!!! youve all changed my life for the better and made me happier. ive always loved writing but had no confidence, but knowing that i have readers who enjoy my work has kicked me into gear. i cant thank you all enough.


	14. First Date

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Genji and Zenyatta wake up together for the first time since they confessed how they felt.
> 
> Then they go on their first date and meet a few strangers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> for some reason this chap also feels like filler??? wtf does it always feel like that unless im throwing the kitchen sink at them lmfao. why am i so damn extra
> 
> o&o: something calm happens  
> me: wtf is this shit

As the sun peeked out over the horizon and began to stream into Zenyatta’s room, it cast light over a morning that had never been like any before.

Of course, Genji and Zenyatta had slept and woken up in the same bed before. There had been plenty of mornings where one would watch the other, or one would gently shake them awake, or one would yank back the covers as a practical joke.

Yet, as Genji’s eyes cracked open and he saw the man in front of him, he couldn’t help but wonder if it was the first time that this particular sun had risen. It shone like every other sun, revealed the dust in the air like any other sun, warmed the stone foundation of the tower like any other sun.

But had it always felt so pleasant before? Had Genji ever been roused by its light with a belly full of butterflies before? Had it always been so bright? So calming? Had the sun ever filled Genji’s undead body with life before?

Zenyatta lay beside him and faced the center of the bed, just as he usually did, but there was nothing platonic about the distance between them. Their legs were tangled together and Genji was too sleepy to know where his ended and Zenyatta’s began. Genji’s sharp hands were pressed together and tucked between their bodies while Zenyatta had his arms draped over the demon.

Genji had been alive for centuries, but this morning felt like the first day of his life.

Genji did not have to resist the urge to boop Zenyatta on the nose and watch his face scrunch up in sleep. He did not have to hold himself back when he wanted to close the tiny gap between them and place soft kisses onto Zenyatta’s face until he woke up.

He didn’t resist giving Zenyatta one more peck when he grumpily opened his eyes.

Zenyatta sleepily slurred Genji’s name and it hit him right in the chest a way that something so quiet shouldn’t have. No longer could he hold back the bright grin that threatened to break out across his face. He must have looked a sight, because Zenyatta slowly blinked and then returned a silly grin of his own.

Genji may have wished a while ago to stay in a moment forever; as him and Zenyatta danced, but he would throw away a million dances just to stay here and wake up to Zenyatta every day.

“Hello, sleepyhead,” Genji murmured, his tone a bit too soft to truly tease.

“Good morning, Genji,” Zenyatta replied.

Genji wondered if one could get a high off the sound one was addicted to. If so, he wished to be drugged every day with his love for Zenyatta. 

“Did you sleep well?” Zenyatta asked.

“Well enough,” Genji hummed. “Considering that I was sharing my bed with someone. It’s very new, considering that I have spent centuries with a bed all to myself.”

“Do you think you would rest better if you were alone?”

“It’s hard to say. I’ll have to practice more before I have enough field samples to compare. It’s very scientific research, you know.”

“Important scientific research?”

“Very important,” Genji grinned. “How was your sleep?”

“Not very good,” Zenyatta hummed. “I could not stop wishing that it was already morning.”

Genji flushed. “Oh? Why is that?”

Zenyatta pulled his boyfriend closer. “Who knows?”

It took half of an hour for them to get out of bed, distracted by one another. 

 

 

“Zenyatta,” Genji snorted. “It’s fine.”

“Hmm, well,” Zenyatta hummed. “It’s better to be safe than sorry, yes?”

“I somehow doubt that the world will end if I have a hat tilted improperly on my head.”

“Perhaps. Though it will be a great deal more difficult if anyone sees your horns.”

“Everything was alright last time! My glamour is perfect. No one will see anything.”

“What if I want you to wear the hat because you are cute, and I like seeing you in my clothes?”

Genji fell silent at that, his face blooming into a pink colour. He took a deep breath to speak-- and then let it go. Zenyatta watched with affection as his boyfriend fumbled for a comeback.

“That’s fine, I guess,” Genji mumbled and pulled the hat down further onto his head. Zenyatta laughed

“Thank you, Genji.”

Genji grumbled and crossed his arms in a pout. “I hate it when you do that-- just act all normal and mature and stuff and then come out of nowhere with something sappy. I’m still not used to it!”

“Would you like me to stop?”

The demon threw up his arms and made an indignant noise. His feet lifted off the ground and he let himself drift behind Zenyatta, bumping Genji’s face into his back. “No,” he whined. “I don’t want you to stop.”

“Then what would you like?”

Genji mumbled into Zenyatta’s shirt.

“Could you repeat that please?”

Genji growled and shoved his hands underneath Zenyatta’s arms, plucking him from the ground and making him yelp. “Genji!”

“I said that you’re way too smug!!” Genji said. “That’s my job!”

Zenyatta’s laugh rang through the trees as he reached upwards for a grip on his captor. Genji smirked. 

“If I can't sweep you off your feet with words, I'll just do it literally!!”

The trip through the forest took twice as long as it would alone. 

 

 

A figure leaned against the tavern arch, absent-mindedly watching the skies. Upon hearing the crunch of gravel, they looked up.   
Lucio beamed. “Hey, Zen! You came!”

Zenyatta smiled back in greeting. “Of course. I have been looking forward to this for a whole season.”

Lucio rubbed the back of his neck. “Ah man, you're too nice. That's why I love you, though.”

“I am only as kind as you deserve, Lucio. You are a very talented musician.”

“I sure hope so, cause I'm the only musician around here!” he laughed freely. 

Lucio placed his hands on his hips and refocused his attention on Genji. “I remember you, you're Genji, right? We met a while ago.”

Genji nodded. “I remember. Zenyatta’s enthusiasm has started to rub off on me too, but I've never been to anything like this before.”

Lucio waved casually. “It’s chill. Just a bunch of friends helping me out with my music. I play new stuff and they tell me whether it's good or not. To be honest, Zen isn't really the best judge since he seems to like everything I play, but he's good to have around for morale.”

Genji laughed and Zenyatta huffed with mild embarrassment. Genji could see it perfectly, his boyfriend being the positive star that he was. Genji bumped shoulders with Zenyatta, who bumped him back. 

“Let me guess,” Genji smirked. “He just claps happily and says ‘wonderful!’” 

Lucio laughed at the spot on impression and even Zenyatta found himself blushing and chuckling from the accuracy. 

“You are a menace,” Zenyatta sighed. 

“Yeah, but I'm _your_ menace,” Genji cooed and rubbed his nose on Zenyatta’s cheek, making him snort. 

Meanwhile, the smile that had appeared on Lucio only grew as he watched the two lovebirds. “Try not to be distracted all night, you two.”

Zenyatta looked at him curiously, the statement taking a moment to compute, before red rushed up from his neck to his face. He shook his head and fumbled for words while Genji jumped in before Zenyatta could open his mouth.

“No promises,” Genji smirked and ushered his boyfriend inside.

Once inside, Zenyatta punched Genji in the arm (lightly) and Genji yowled (loudly). They chose a table closer to the wall that had a view of the entire building. 

The bar took up a good chunk of the North side of the tavern. Next to it were the stairs that led to the second floor and above that was the third floor. In the middle of the room sat a large hearth, the coals still glowing warmly. Just in front of that was a stool that Lucio would be sitting on during the show. Most of the tables and chairs closest to it were already taken up by people that Genji had met last time. 

Ana sat at a small table by herself, though she currently had the large bartender Reinhardt leaning on a nearby pillar paying her attention. Over the constant buzz of chatter, Junkrat’s cackles could be heard as he jeered at the table next to him while Roadhog looked like he was about to grab him by the neck. Satya and Mei-Ling grimaced at the soot-covered butcher, returning any comments with scathing remarks. Eventually, Mako dragged Junkrat’s chair closer to him and steered his attention away. McCree and his sister sat together, elbowing and punching each other playfully while a man wearing a cloak chuckled at them, only the bottom half of his smiling face visible.

Though there were a few humans that he was not familiar with. A large stranger leaned next to the door, while several other sat together at a table. Did they not have enough time to meet them when he and Zenyatta visited last? 

“I’ll be right back,” Zenyatta murmured and kissed Genji’s forehead. “I’d rather use the privy now than need to go halfway through later.”

“Do you want me to get anything while you’re gone?” Genji asked.

Zenyatta scratched his chin like some kind of senile warlock. “I don’t have any preferences. Surprise me?”

“A worthy challenge, but I’ll do my best.”

The smile that Genji’s boyfriend gave him made the silly line worth it. He was also tempted to call out _‘I hate it when you go but I love watching you leave’_ to him, but if he was being truly honest, Genji also hated watching him go. He would rather just look at Zenyatta’s butt up close, thank you very much.

He grinned. Genji would have to tell Zenyatta that later. He would get a kick out of it.

Genji made his way between tables and chairs and waved hello to those who would greet him. The bar was small compared to the spirits room they had back at the palace, and even smaller compared to the large man who stood behind it. Or, who was supposed to be standing behind it, as he was still speaking with Ana Amari.

“Reinhardt, my dear,” Ana smiled. “I believe that you may have a customer.”

“A customer!!” Reinhardt boomed and stood to his full height, once again taking the demon by surprise. How could humans come in so many sizes? “What can I do for you, my friend?”

“I just wanted to grab something for Zenyatta and I to drink.”

“Zenyatta? He’s here, and I missed him?” the large man looked around.

“To be fair,” Ana butted in. “You were enjoying some excellent company.”

Reinhardt turned back to Ana and leaned down low to kiss her hand. “That I was, my wonderful lady.”

For some reason, Genji felt embarrassed.

“Now where was I?” Reinhardt hummed.

“Drinks?”

“Ah, yes! Zenyatta. I wished to speak with him tonight.”

“Huh?,” Genji tilted his head. “Why?”

Reinhardt’s large smile twitched and Genji could see the exact moment that it turned less than sincere. He crouched down slightly, enough to speak to Genji without looking suspicious.

“There are new travellers here,” Reinhardt said. “Ones that have never been here before. They have been asking for him.”

Urgency slithered up Genji’s spine and he tensed up. “Him specifically?”

“No, not by name. They have been asking around for any magic users, and expressed that they would not move on until they met him.”

Genji thought of humans and their distaste for their own kind, their distaste for witches. The image of Zenyatta, grey and lifeless, came unbidden to him. The sound of his voice as he described what had happened to his brother. How his eyes drifted elsewhere, farther away than Genji could see.

“It has been many years since anyone of a _real_ prejudiced nature has come to our town, especially since the King, but still I would not want to see our little friend hurt. Will you tell him this?”

As Genji turned to look at the exit, the air was molasses as it dragged him slower and slower. How many strangers had there been? Had Genji counted? He was a fool to think that they were only friends that he had not met yet, as Zenyatta was friends with everyone he met. Who were they? Troublemakers? Innocent curious people?

Those who had almost killed Mondatta?

Genji’s heart leapt into his throat. Where did the person by the door go?

“I’ll tell him,” Genji blurted as he turned on a heel and strode towards the door. Voices behind him called confusedly, asking what was wrong, but every sound in the tavern was reduced to muffled sounds.

Genji did not notice how his grip dented the iron door handle; how his bright red markings burned through his glamour the same way fire would parchment; how his unthreatening human hands grew claws. He knew nothing but his goal: find Zenyatta.

Why hadn’t he paid more attention to the village layout? Why hadn’t he just followed Zenyatta in the first place? A million and one questions and what ifs made Genji’s head spin with growing panic as the seconds ticked by and still he could not find the witch.

 

Then he saw them.

Zenyatta leaning against the side of the general store. He had a calm exterior and a polite expression. The only tick that Genji could see from this distance was the twitching of Zenyatta’s fingers, his arms at his sides instead of clasped behind himself like they wished to be.

And a person towering over him.

No doubt it was the stranger from inside the tavern. Zenyatta was not a small human by any means, but this one was at least a foot taller than him. Their black cloak had been pulled back, long, braided blonde hair spilling out from underneath, but Genji could not see their face. From the size of their silhouette, there was much more hidden underneath the cloak.

Zenyatta’s mouth was moving-- he was saying something to the stranger-- but Genji was unable to see anything the stranger said in return. The space between them was uncomfortably close in the first place--

\--and then they took a step closer.

Genji felt a protective rage burn behind his eyelids, scorch his blood, make his sharp nails dig into his palm. He could not run to Zenyatta in time, could not fly to him, without undoing his glamour entirely. What would happen if he did? Would there be humans around to see? Would they think that Zenyatta was being attacked by him?

What would happen if he _didn’t_ run to him?

Before Genji could completely destroy his disguise, someone else sprinted from off to the side where he had not been looking. They were small, smaller than Zenyatta, and their cape did nothing to hide their slight frame. Genji could see the larger human picking them up by the neck and throwing them to the side, or waving their hand and sending them flying.

But the smaller human stood their ground. They stood on their toes and jabbed a finger out at the other, their mouth moving a thousand miles an hour too fast for Genji to read. The stranger turned to look at them and finally genji caught a glimpse of their face-- it was a giant woman.

The large woman had an expression carved from stone, which got only harder as the smaller human squawked at them. She opened her mouth to protest and got half of one out before the spunkier one jabbed them again, their shouting almost audible from this distance. 

The two humans stared one another down and Genji was afraid that one would start a fight. Of course he was not afraid for them, but for his silly boyfriend who would undoubtedly butt in and try to stop them.

Then the blonde woman shook her head, turning to Zenyatta one more time to say something that Genji could not hear, before walking away.

Genji could not remember walking to them, but the next thing he knew he was lunging at Zenyatta and holding him by the arms. He swiftly looked his boyfriend over for any scuffs or scratches or injuries while Zenyatta softly protested being manhandled.

“Genji--” he sputtered. “Genji, I’m fine!”

“Are you sure?” Genji asked anyways. “Did they hurt you-- or touch you at all?”

“I am perfectly fine!” Zenyatta huffed and tugged Genji’s tight grip off of his shirt. “Besides, my new friend stepped in to help me.”

“Aw shucks!” the slim person said. “I’m sure you had it; I just couldn’t stand by and watch her threaten you!”

“Very noble indeed,” Zenyatta hummed. “Genji, this is Lena. Lena, Genji.”

“Nice to meet you!” Lena chirped and grabbed one of Genji’s hands in order to shake it vigorously. 

“Y-yeah, you too,” Genji replied, dumbfounded by the cheer she radiated after that scene.

“I’m here with some of my friends-- er, coworkers, just passing through on our patrol.”

“It is always a treat to have new blood flow through our little town.”

“Yeah! It’s so cute here, and everyone is so nice! I would live here forever if I could, but we still gotta job to do.”

“Perhaps in the future you may come back,” Zenyatta smiled. “I was just headed to the tavern to listen to our resident musician. Would you like to join us?”

“Yeah!” Lena chirped. “I was on my way there, too! My friends should already be there waiting for me.”

Lena was cheerful and peppy enough to make Genji wonder if he had imagined that whole event up by himself. While Genji could not find a single crack in her spiel to join in, somehow Zenyatta would add his opinion at the perfect times. Was that a part of his magical talents, too?

 

Back inside the tavern, Lucio sat and tuned his lute as he chatted and laughed with Winston. The only thing that had changed in the seemingly endless few minutes was that a few people had switched seats and Reinhardt had finally returned to the bar.

“Lena!” called a woman.

Lena skipped over to the only table full of people that Genji had not met. One was a pale woman with almost white blonde hair tied up in a ponytail. She frowned and chided Lena for being late and worrying them, fussing over her clothes for nonexistent dust or dirt. The other was a man who was older than both of them. He had short silver hair chopped in a military-esque style and dark grey stubble on his scarred face. His eyes were covered by a pair of red eyeglasses. If not for the small hint of a smile, Genji would have thought him a hitman.

“Who are your new friends?” the white woman asked.

“This is Zenyatta and Genji, I met them on the way here!”

“A pleasure to meet you both,” the woman stood from her chair and took their hands in a gentle handshake. “You may call me Angela, and this is my coworker, Jack.”

Jack grunted, but gave no other sign that he was involved in the conversation.

“The pleasure is all mine,” Zenyatta bowed his head slightly.

“We have only been staying here a few days to rest and stock up on supplies, but I have not seen you two before. Are you also travellers?”

“No, no. I live farther away from the town. Walking takes about an hour, so I keep my visits to only once or twice a week.”

“The forest?!” Lena butted in. “That’s dangerous! There are all sorts of things in there, you know! Like wolves and golems!”

Angela frowned. “You really should move closer to civilization, you know. The woods are becoming more and more dangerous these days.”

Zenyatta smiled kindly, but before he could reply, Lucio called from the center of the floor and the noise toned down. He mimed a finger to his lips and said soundlessly _’We can speak later.’_

Genji and his boyfriend returned to their seats just as the show started. They had no drinks, and Genji was still somewhat shaken by previous events. He glanced at Zenyatta once every moment or two to watch his expression, try and see if he was unsatisfied by the outcome. It was supposed to be a relaxed date together, but instead Genji had overthought things and messed it up.

Zenyatta sighed and Genji jumped in his seat, expecting the worst. However, Zenyatta only moved his chair closer to Genji’s and leaned against his shoulder, slipping his hand into Genji’s lap and finding his hand to hold. Immediately his body un-tensed and he slumped into Zenyatta. He could feel Zenyatta shake with silent laughter. 

_’Thank you for coming to save me,’_ Zenyatta murmured to Genji and kissed his head.

Genji felt much less silly than he had moments ago.

 

Songs ended and began again, each time a small break was taken in between for critiques. Genji saw a pattern in each person’s comments right away. Satya would say something that sounded like constructive criticism, but would be just cold enough to give Lucio a frown. Winston would excitedly ask for Lucio’s thought process and then need to be reminded that they only had so much time after a few minutes of discussing musical theory. Jamison would ask why it wasn’t more flashy, while Mako would just grunt (whether it was in approval or disapproval, Genji could never tell). Reinhardt would yell his praises into the rafters and say how he looked forward to hearing the songs during business hours. 

But to his surprise, Genji was included in the discussion. He knew little about music other than what he thought sounded good and all of his comments were choppy and unsure, but eventually he would find his voice when Zenyatta squeezed his hand under the table and whispered that he was doing fine.

(Just like Lucio said, Zenyatta only gushed about how much he loved each song and how ‘wonderful’ it was; to which Genji would mutter _’you’re_ wonderful’ and they would playfully flirt until the next song began.)

Somehow, when it was over, the sun was just starting to dip down beneath the horizon. How did the time pass so quickly? Was it not only moments ago that they started?

Despite his centuries of experience, Genji could not remember a gathering he had been to that was just as… casual-- welcoming, relaxing. He liked it. Being surrounded by people who were friendly, people who knew not of his status nor did they care. To be treated just as a normal person. Were all humans like this? Or perhaps was it just those who were far away from the expectations of courts and royalty.

Most stayed in the tavern as the business hours began. It was only Genji, Zenyatta, and their new friends that left.

“Perhaps we may meet again,” Zenyatta said. “But for now, we should begin making our way home before it gets too dark.”

“Oh, no, it’s much too dangerous to be going through the woods at this time of evening,” Angela protested. “I’m sure we can share our room with you, or maybe Reinhardt will let you stay for free a night.”

Zenyatta waved off her concerns with a comforting smile. “Truly, Genji and I will be perfectly fine. Most creatures stay away from the path to my house because of my enchantments.”

Then Jack spoke for the first time they had met him. “Enchantments?” he asked, voice rough with disuse. “Are you the village wizard?”

That sick feeling crept into Genji’s stomach again as Reinhardt’s warning tugged at the edge of his mind. Was that large woman not the only one who wanted something from Zenyatta?

“I am,” Zenyatta admitted cautiously.

Lena chirped. “Finally! We’ve been waiting in town for days hoping that you would show up!”

“Oh? Did you need something from me?”

“Not quite,” Jack continued. “It’s more like you need something from us.”

“And what would that be?”

“Protection,” he said. “And information.”

Genji did not like the way that this human said _‘protection’._ It reminded him too much of the family business. Genji could hear the way that other clans would come to them saying; _‘It’s dangerous here, but don’t worry, for a small fee we’ll provide protection’._

“I’m quite proficient at self-protection,” Zenyatta said. “But thank you, nonetheless.”

“It’s not that simple,” Jack grunted. “There are people out here, bad people, who would see magic-users wiped off the face of the world.”

“I am quite aware of some people’s prejudices.”

“These ones don’t just spout their hatred, they act on it. They call themselves Talon.”

“I cannot say that I’ve heard much of them.”

“They have kept to themselves up until now, but recently they have been found connected to a multitude of violence directed towards witches and wizards. They preach that magic users are inherently influenced by demons and the like, that they carry out their bidding whether they know it or not.”

Genji’s grip on Zenyatta’s hand tightened and Zenyatta squeezed back reassuringly, but still Genji felt ill. What this ‘Talon’ was saying would have been just close enough to the truth to sway people. Only magical beings could summon or contact demons, but it was increasingly rare for them to act upon it. 

Other than Zenyatta.

“They say they are carrying out God’s Law, that they are heroes and fighters for the people, but they are only barbarians who hardly need a reason to hurt others. Have you heard of what has happened in the capital recently? Of what happened to Mondatta?”

Zenyatta froze up and Genji had the violent urge to rush forward and clamp a hand over this human’s mouth. They had been having such a nice night, Zenyatta had finally been recovering from his sink into depression, and now this absolute stranger was bringing up the attempt on Mondatta’s life like it was the weather during small talk.

“I have heard,” Zenyatta said evenly.

“We have proof that Talon was behind that attack.”

Genji let himself succumb to his own temptations. To slip his hand out of Zenyatta’s and instead wind it around his waist, to pull him close and press their sides together in the hope that his concern and comfort could seep through their skin. Zenyatta quietly took his hand again when Genji was finished and squeezed it weakly.

“What does this have to do with me?” Zenyatta asked, his tone stone cold.

“The King thinks that all witches and wizards are in danger now,” Angela cut in. “So we are some of those sent around the country to warn any that we can. It is too early to know exactly when or where Talon will strike next, but our King is compassionate towards magic-users, and he does not want anyone else hurt.”

“That is kind of him.”

“He is a kind man,” Angela said. “He does not want another war, nor his subjects hurt because of extremists.”

“Thank you for telling us,” Genji butted in, allowing his partner a break.

“It’s our job,” Jack said at the same time that Lena spoke up. “It’s the right thing to do!”

Angela finished for them. “Since we have finally found you, one part of the work is done. Until we are completely finished making sure that your town is safe and free of any agents of Talon, we will be staying at the inn here.”

Lena jumped in again. “So don’t be shy! If there’s any trouble, even the tiniest suspicious thing, come tell us right away! Those Talon jerks have special anti-magic weapons, they could really hurt you if you try and confront them alone!”

“We’ll keep that in mind,” Genji nodded and dismissed them. “Have a safe night.”

Lena looked like she wanted to say more, but a firm hand on her arm from Angela stopped her short. Jack nodded and turned back towards the inn while his co workers followed behind, leaving Genji and Zenyatta on the gravel street.

 

 

 

“Genji,” Zenyatta sighed. “I’m fine, really.”

“You don’t have to be,” Genji said.

“Yes, I know. Perhaps I am a bit shaken, but I am not upset.”

“Are you sure?”

“I am sure,” Zenyatta said, helping Genji out of his jacket and hanging it up. “It brings me a kind of comfort to know who attacked my brother.”

“Really?”

“Yes, really. Any information, whether it is good or bad, is better than staying ignorant in the dark.”

“I understand, but… did they really have to dump this on you tonight? We were having fun, you were finally unwinding, and it was our first date--”

“Genji,” Zenyatta pressed a finger to his worrisome boyfriend’s lips. “My night is not worse off, I am not distressed, and our date was not ruined. You were there, you held me while I was given grave news. I’d say that you did very well on our first date.”

“Fine,” Genji let out a sigh and finally slumped his shoulders, bumping his forehead to Zenyatta’s. “So, I still have a chance at a second date?”

Zenyatta chuckled and pressed their noses together, holding Genji by the hips as if they were to sway to a slow song. “I would say that you still have a very good chance at a second date, and perhaps even a third.”

“What about a fourth?”

“We’ll have to see how the other ones go before I decide.”

“What about a fifth? A sixth? A seventh?”

As Genji continued his silly questions, he grabbed Zenyatta’s thighs and lifted him up as he floated into the air, causing him to squawk and then giggle as they drifted their way towards the bedroom.

“A tenth? A twentieth?”

“Genji, put me down!”

“A hundredth? Two hundredth?”

“Genji!” Zenyatta gasped as he was thrown onto the bed, his body bouncing before Genji flopped down onto him. 

“A thousand dates? How about a million dates?”

“At least take off your shoes, Genji! We’re going to get dirt all over the bed!”

“A date every day forever and ever! You must agree! Or else I will clap my heels together over the pillows!”

“Anything but that!” Zenyatta wailed in the high-pitched voice of a distressed maiden. “You monster!”

“Agree, or else I will curse your bed to have dirt particles for all eternity!”

“I have no choice! I agree, demon, I will date you forever!”

“Say it! Say forever _and_ ever!”

“I will date you for every ever and all evers afterwards!”

Genji snorted and broke character, collapsing on top of his boyfriend and burying his face in Zenyatta’s neck. Zenyatta wrapped his arms around Genji and pulled him close.

“You are very silly, Genji.”

“I know, but you like it.”

“Hmm, I’m not so sure.”

“What? You don’t like it?”

“No. I believe I do not like it,” Zenyatta kissed the side of Genji’s head. “I love it.”

Genji muttered and Zenyatta could feel his face heat up in the crook of his neck. “That’s fine, I guess. I love you too.”

“There’s nothing more that I want.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> is every1 happy with the direction this fic is going? i havent been getting as many comments as usual, so i just want to check. your guys' opinion rly matters to me, and if shit is happening that makes u uncomfy or just seems boring then u can totally shout out to me abt it
> 
> i read all of ur comments all the time ALWAYS. like, i fuckign remember each and every one of them and who wrote them and i love you all even if i dont respond. cause tbh theres a lot to repsond to. ill usually respond to anyone w/ questions or smth but otherwise i just sigh dreamily at ur kind words and the fact that u put ur eyeballs on the page and read my shite


	15. Like Stars

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zenyatta gets an update.  
> Then they go together to find ingredients in the deep woods.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry for not posting yesterday!! i kept feeling yucky abt what i had written, and then it kind of effed me over and i couldnt finish writing at all. so you get the update today!!! yay!!!!
> 
> also ive been thinking of extending it to 22 chapters, but the last one would be more like a Q+A plus epilogue or author's explanation/notes. cause there are a lot of things i made up for this fic that i wont be writing for it or including in the story at all, and there may be some lore or story bits that ppl may be confused over. i could always just answer questions in the comments, but many ppl are shy and may not send me anything even if they dont understand smth. plus i rly fuckign love writing and world building so i wanna gush abt it forever. 
> 
> its just an idea rn, so idk lol. shrug emoji

Zenyatta was awoken by the gentle sound of bells.

He pried his sleep-heavy eyes open, blinking a few times in the still dark room. The sky outside of the window betrayed only the very beginning of the sunrise, still mostly navy with a tiny speck of pink. Zenyatta was tempted to lay his head back down and slip back into the sweet embrace of sleep. Genji lay beside him, gentle and soft in sleep, silently beckoning Zenyatta to join him. 

But still the bells sounded.

As gently as possible with his clumsy movements from sleep, Zenyatta snuck out from under the blankets and placed his bare feet on the floor, dreading the end of his carpet and the beginning of the cold stone floor. He would have pulled a sheet along with him to combat the early morning chill, but looking back Genji seemed to comfortable, he could not bring himself to do it.

Zenyatta padded into his workshop. The tall mirror that had been covered and leaned against the wall was glowing in time with each chime. Too tired to return it to its spot nor stand any longer, Zenyatta plopped himself in front of it and gently tugged the sheet off. He brushed a finger across the surface.

A picture of Mondatta appeared.

“Mondatta?” Zenyatta sucked in a breath, his voice quiet from disuse.

Mondatta turned away from his bodyguard, who looked to be chiding him, and snapped his attention back to the call. “Zenyatta,” he sighed in relief. “You’re awake.”

“That’s probably because you woke him up,” Alexander muttered from behind Mondatta.

“Are you alright? Has anyone tried to hurt you also?” Mondatta ignored him.

Zenyatta stared dumbly at the image of his brother, unable to find any words. He was not wearing his usual white robes, the ones that Zenyatta could find him in even at the latest of hours. Instead Mondatta had bandages wrapped around his chest and wore comfortable pyjama pants. He had dark rings under his eyes and skin that looked like it hadn’t seen the sun in weeks.

Seeing his brother in such casual wear threw Zenyatta for a loop. It had been a year-- over a year-- since he had witnessed Mondatta in anything other than the kind of garb fit for court. He was transported back in time for a split second; his brother bent over a desk in deep thought, scouring through tome after tome. The night late and the sun far past the horizon, Mondatta working until he passed out and Zenyatta would cover him in a blanket.

“Am I alright..?” Zenyatta repeated. “You are the one who was attacked! What about you?”

“As you can see, I’m fine,” said Mondatta with a straight face while his entire torso was wrapped in bandages. “Please just answer the question.”

“No, no one has tried to hurt me,” Zenyatta shook his head in disbelief. “Why are you out of bed?”

“That’s what I’m wondering,” Alexander, Mondatta’s hovering bodyguard, mumbled.

“Oh please,” Mondatta waved off the question. “It will take more than some amateur magic-cancelling poison to take me down. Hitmen must be getting slower these days if they forget that non-magical ways of healing exist.”

Zenyatta’s brother continued to rant about the subject the same way an old man would ramble about kids these days. Meanwhile Zenyatta stared at him like he was watching a ghost appear in front of him and begin reciting the history of the arcane arts. Alexander, being less emotionally constipated than both witches, nudged his boss with an elbow.

Mondatta coughed. “Yes, but that is not the reason why I called,” he rubbed underneath his nose. “I wanted to apologize… for what I did when I last visited.”

“A- Apologize?” Zenyatta balked. “Someone tries to assassinate you in front of a large crowd of people and leaves you in a coma, and as soon as you wake up you call me in order to say sorry even though you already have?!”

“Yes, well, that did not count. It was in the moment and the offence was fresh, you were in no right state of mind to truly accept my apology nor was I in any spot to deserve your forgiveness.”

“I’ve already forgiven you, Mondatta!” 

“And as I said, it did not count. So now I am apologizing properly.”

Zenyatta groaned. “Do you know how much stress you cause me, brother?”

“I’m sure he does,” Alexander said.

Mondatta ignored him. “Another reason to apologize.”

“Fine!” Zenyatta smacked his head with a palm. “You are forgiven!”

Mondatta frowned. “That was not very proper. If you need a few days to truly think over and accept my apology, I shall gladly give them to you. Take as much time as you need to--”

“I don’t need any time! I forgive you!”

“You don’t sound very sincere.”

“That is because I am stressed!”

“I can call again later--”

“No!” Zenyatta groaned. “No-- stay here. Please. I forgive you, really, I do. I just…”

Zenyatta took a deep breath and rubbed his hands over his sleep-heavy face. “I am only emotionally compromised at the moment. When I heard of what happened… I did not know whether you would live or not.”

“That is silly, of course I would--”

“Please, let me speak,” Zenyatta cut off his brother, who stopped and let him continue. “It ate at me, every minute of every hour of every day, thinking that the last thing I said to you was to get out of my sight. It haunted me. I could not come visit, I could not--” Zenyatta’s voice broke. “Please, just let me forgive you. Let me speak to you now of other things. Let me forget that you ever came so close to death.”

Mondatta watched his brother through the glass. Zenyatta was sleep-rumpled, and now more than a few minutes ago, the dark rings under his eyes were prominent. For the first time he let his eyes wander past the form of Zenyatta and inspect the room behind him. Disuse covered every surface and dust could be seen floating in the air behind him. 

“Yes,” Mondatta said. “You do not need my permission to be happy, Zenyatta. You never did. Let us change the subject.”

Zenyatta sighed, finally the ghost of a smile tugging at his mouth. 

“Thank you, brother.”

= = =

Genji was awoken by the sound of voices.

He pried his sleep-heavy eyes open. The sun had only just finished peeking over the horizon, the pinks and oranges in the sky now faded into a light blue. As always, Genji was tempted to gather up his human-sized source of warmth and go back to sleep.

But his human-sized source of warmth was not in bed.

Genji was alone, bundled up in some sort of blanket cocoon. If he strained his sleepy hearing, he could discern that the clearest voice was his boyfriend’s. The demon took a deep breath and let out a long sigh into the pillow that his cheek was pressed into. He wanted to be mad at his personal heater for leaving him to the cold and lonely bed, but he found himself unable.

With an overdramatic moan, Genji threw the covers off of himself (and then threw them off several more times, because he apparently was talented in creating multi-layered traps in his sleep). Genji’s bare feet tapped on the cold stone floor and he hissed at the way the chill bled through his bones. 

The voices came from Zenyatta’s workshop, which the door to was open. Genji peeked inside and saw his boyfriend sitting in front of his magical mirror. He sat cross-legged in front of it, or at least what looked to be a more complicated version of sitting cross-legged as his feet were in his lap instead of on the ground. His hands held onto both feet as he chuckled and spoke to the person in the mirror.

Inside the mirror was Mondatta.

His skin held less colour than the last time he had seen the witch. With the bandages and dark rings under his eyes, it was obvious that he was still recovering. Not to mention the conspicuous hired muscle hovering over his shoulder.

But.

Zenyatta, even from this poor angle, looked happy. Happier than he had been for a while. A small, tiny, miniscule part of Genji was envious knowing that everything that had happened between them-- the confession, the date, their first night-- did not bring the same smile that Zenyatta wore all because he saw his brother again.

As easily as breathing, Genji swept that part away.

He loved Zenyatta. That was it.

Their relationship-- Genji’s feelings-- were not some contest of affection. He did not need to consume every part of Zenyatta’s life. He did not need to be the most important person in every aspect of his social circle. 

Genji loved Zenyatta.

That was all he needed. Seeing Zenyatta happy, watching him love someone else, made Genji happy also. He thought back to the beginning, the uncomfortable feeling in his gut when Zenyatta was friendly with other humans or doted upon by his friends, and he almost scoffed outloud. It seemed like so long ago, or perhaps yesterday, that he had felt envious of others who caught Zenyatta’s attention.

The feeling was so unfamiliar to him now, so silly. The idea of others living Zenyatta and Zenyatta loving them also only brought Genji indescribable joy. He wanted everyone to love his boyfriend and for his boyfriend to love them too.

After all, if having his romantic love returned by Zenyatta felt so wonderful, why should he not wish the platonic version upon everyone else?

Why should Zenyatta finding happiness cause Genji discord when it could instead give him happiness also?

A soft smile spread across Genji’s face and he gently closed the workshop door so that his boyfriend could have some privacy. A good idea had come upon his mind and he wanted to act upon it.

= = =

Zenyatta felt exhausted after his conversation with Mondatta-- yet at the same time, he felt more awake than he had been for weeks. It must have been an hour or more since he had woken up. Hopefully Genji was not upset that he had snuck out of bed.

But, upon checking the bedroom, Genji was not there.

“Genji?” Zenyatta called.

“In the kitchen!” came his reply.

Inside the kitchen was a sight to behold. There was flour all over every surface, including Genji. Somehow it had gotten in his hair also. A warm smile spread across Zenyatta’s face at the sight of his adorable boyfriend.

“I didn’t spill any of the batter!” Genji announced in pride. True to his word, all wet ingredients and batter had stayed inside of the bowl in his arms.

“I cannot argue,” Zenyatta smiled. “Although I must ask what exploded in here beforehand.”

Genji turned light pink at the question. “Yeah, well, opening a bag of flour is harder than I thought it would be.”

“Oh? Is that right?”

“Yeah. It kind of…. exploded. Everywhere.”

Zenyatta couldn’t hold back his laughter anymore. The sound made Genji flush deeper in embarrassment, but a small smile found its way to his face also.

“Thank you, Genji, for making breakfast.”

“Pbbtthhh,” Genji scoffed. “Easy-peasy. I could have done it faster, but I decided to do it the harder human way and not use my magic.”

“How noble of you,” Zenyatta hummed and closed the gap between them. He pecked his boyfriend on a flour-free part of his cheek.

“That’s me,” Genji grinned like a cheshire cat. “Noble.”

“Would you like some help with finishing up?”

Genji’s pride was kicked out the door as he groaned in relief. _“Please.”_

They both laughed and kissed once more before returning to the task of cooking. Eventually most of the flour that was on Genji made its way onto Zenyatta as well.

Especially in hand-shaped prints on his hips.

= = =

“So, tell me what we’re looking for again?”

“Right now we aren’t looking for anything, since we haven’t arrived yet.”

Genji rolled his eyes. “You know what I mean.”

Zenyatta hummed. “Do I?”

“Yes!”

“How do you know that I know?”

“Because I know you!”

“Do you?”

“Yes!!!”

“Are you sure?”

“Zenyatta…” Genji drew out the ‘ah’ for a dramatic period of time. “Pleaseee, stop teasing meeeeee.”

Zenyatta squawked as a heavy weight fell over his shoulders in the form of two demon arms and one demon head. Genji wrapped himself around his boyfriend, his lower half floating behind as if he was some person-sized cape.

The witch smiled and dropped a peck on Genji’s cheek. “Then I shall grant you mercy.”

There was a muffled ‘thank you’ in Zenyatta’s neck.

“We are going into the deep woods in order to gather star flowers,” Zenyatta recited. “Normally I would not go unless my brother were here, but I am sure that a witch and a demon will be safe enough together.”

“Oh please,” Genji snorted, causing goosebumps to run up Zenyatta’s neck. “You could be a normal talentless human and still you would be perfectly safe as long as you had me.”

“I’m sure that you’re correct, Genji,” Zenyatta said, gently prying his boyfriend from himself. “But the deep woods are very dangerous. One can never be too careful.”

“Maybe for mortals. I doubt there’s anything in there that can land a scratch on me.”

Zenyatta looked at Genji. He watched him float alongside while they walked towards the darker areas of the trees. His eyes were closed, hands cupped behind his head like he was floating on his back down a calm river on a sunny day. The treetops were still sparse enough to allow patches of light through, making the forest floor (and anyone on it) appear to be covered in a quilt of sunlight.

Zenyatta shook his head. “There are worse things than demons, genji.”

 

The entrance to the deep woods looked like any other part of the forest except for the old wooden sign surrounded by small piles of rocks. There were no sudden shadows hovering over them, no bright eyes in dark places, no growls or roars from within. It looked like someone had stuck a sign in the middle of the forest.

“The most dangerous things look safe, Genji,” Zenyatta had said.

It was only a few minutes after they had entered that anything inside the Deep Woods resembled something that would be in such a scary place. The canopy above closed entirely and it was a miracle that any light broke through at all. Whatever was left of the well-walked path before was gone, dead leaves and foliage covering every inch of the forest floor. 

Looking farther ahead almost nothing was visible past a wall of darkness. “We won’t be going that deep, don’t worry,” Zenyatta said. “Star flowers are located in the outer area of the deep woods. Anything gathered farther than that can only be used as ingredients for poisons.”

Despite the constant pressing of foreign, old magic against Genji, there was something beautiful about the woods. Glowing mushrooms could be seen hiding behind tree stumps. There was the occasional call of a strange animal or the song of an unseen bird, but no matter what Zenyatta stayed calm and unfazed. Genji took his lead and decided not to be offput either.

Even though he heard a third heavier, slower set of footsteps.

“They should be around here,” Zenyatta announced as they came to a stop in one of the brighter clearings. “Don’t stray too far. The flowers are very small, so if you cannot find them they are most likely not there.”

“We’ll be out of here in no time,” Genji grinned. “My demonic eyes are better than human ones. No offence.”

Zenyatta chuckled. “None taken. I look forward to you finding them first.”

“That sounds like a challenge.”

“Hmm. Does it now?”

“Just watch me, I’ll find your flowers first and have enough extra time to pick you a bouquet!”

Zenyatta looked at Genji with eyes squished by his smile, causing the demon’s heart to flip. “Not if I can pick you something nice before you do.”

Genji’s smile stretched all the way to his ears. “You’re on!”

He dove into ingredient-searching dramatically and quite literally, cupping his hands around his eyes like binoculars. He heard a laugh in the background, which was exactly what he was fishing for, and went to looking seriously. 

The more he searched and the farther they wandered together, the closer they came to an area sprinkled with ruins of some sort. Sandstone columns stood proudly despite their obvious wear and the copious greenery covering every surface. It was hard to imagine with all of the time that must have passed, but even Genji could see the faint foundation to some kind of building that once stood. At one point he almost tripped on something that appeared to be a stone step.

There was a beauty to all of the chaos that was the forest. Plants had taken over or consumed anything that once resembled human territory, giving a sense of pride in reclaimed land. With all of the awe surrounding them, time barely held meaning. Genji had not noticed the sun slowly making its way to the middle of the sky.

Nor had he noticed how far away from his partner he wandered.

Genji sucked in a breath. “I found it,” he murmured to himself.

Growing beside and up a stone shelf was a blanket of black stems and leaves. To the average eye, the plants would look dead or poisonous, but the demon saw its true nature. Nestled in between fat black leaves were tiny white flowers that almost looked iridescent in the sun. If Genji turned his head even a millimetre to the left or right, the colours would change and twinkle like stars.

Genji jumped forwards and reached out to grab a handful of the flowers, thinking only of the look of joy that Zenyatta would have on his face. If he hurried, he could still grab some other flowers before Zenyatta checked up on him again.

Then the stone shelf moved.

A low pitched whine came from somewhere within the stone that suddenly began to move on its own. Genji leapt back at the sound of crunching sand and stone, landing on his toes in a fight-ready pose. The runes and patterns carved into the rock that he had barely noticed before flickered blue.

The stone golem turned around to look at Genji in the eyes, the large blue crystal in its head glowing a bright blue.

“Fuck,” Genji said.

His knuckles turned white with their strong grip on his sword handle and he unsheathed the first inch, metal making a _‘shnk’_ sound, before he heard more rustling from the bushes behind him.

“Genji!” Zenyatta called. “I found you! You wandered off, and I--”

“Stay back!” Genji cried. “I’ve got this!”

“Got what…?” Zenyatta asked, looking past his boyfriend. He gasped. “Genji! That’s--”

“Yeah, it’s a golem,” he grinned, eager for a fight. “Don’t worry, I’ll protect you.”

Just as Genji’s toes pushed off the grass to lunge forwards, something strong wrapped around his ankles and he went down hard with an OOF! Genji groaned, mouth full of grass, as he tried to wriggle free of his boyfriend.

“No! Don’t fight it!” Zenyatta warned.

“I’ll be fine, I’m a demon prin--”

“Not that,” Zenyatta groaned. “It’s friendly! It won’t hurt us!”

Genji made an expression of disbelief. However, when he actually looked up, he saw that the ancient golem had not moved an inch since their whole scene. In fact, once Genji made eye contact with it, the creature seemed to cock its head and whistle curiously.

Then he noticed the bird’s nest and it’s yellow homeowner perched on the golem’s shoulder.

“Huh?” Genji said.

“This is my friend, Genji,” Zenyatta explained. “It won’t hurt us.”

Genji really did want to believe his boyfriend, but the golem began to stomp its way over to them. He scrambled out of his vulnerable position on the forest floor and stood up quickly, his arm instinctively shielding Zenyatta. Up close the monster was gigantic and hummed with ancient magicks.

Then it reached out and offered Genji a tiny white flower with black leaves.

“Uh,” he mumbled. “Thank you…?”

The golem whistled happily and then walked past the stunned demon. It stopped in front of Zenyatta, whirring and beeping something that Genji could not understand.

“It is good to see you too, Bastion,” Zenyatta said. “Ganymede has grown very much since I last saw you two.”

Genji watched them both converse with a mixture of confusion and awe. Bastion would whistle and Zenyatta would reply in english. At one point the yellow bird landed on Zenyatta’s shoulder instead and sung at him.

Honestly, Genji was surprised at himself for being so surprised. It figured that Zenyatta would make friends with even the inhabitants of the deep woods. The witch was amazing like that. He had summoned an ancient demon, visited its friends and family (all the while collecting allies) and then entered into a relationship with it.

Zenyatta was amazing.

Bastion picked a blue flower off of its own chassis. It looked almost like a lily if their petals could match the colour of the sky in the morning, with yellow stamens in the centre. With fat, clumsy, stone fingers it gently plucked Zenyatta’s hat off of his head and tucked the flower behind his ear.

He looked beautiful.

Zenyatta chuckled and thanked his large friend, taking the hat back and holding it to his chest. In the afternoon sun, his skin almost glowed. The small slit that was visible of his eyes sparkled. The flower matched the colour of his irises. Genji had to applaud the golem for its taste.

But as he watched his boyfriend, everything but the sun and the flowers at their feet seemed to bleed away. Even the loud beeping that Bastion and his feathery companion made were but background static. Zenyatta belonged here. Constantly showered with light, surrounded by beauty and colours of all kinds, smiling like he could outshine the sun itself.

And he probably could.

An idea came to Genji at that moment. It clicked, feeling the same as ears popping after a long, slow trip down the mountainside. He could see better, hear clearer. It had always been there, but now that Genji could see it, how could he remember ever being blind?

“Thank you again, Bastion,” Zenyatta said. “But we really must be going before the sun gets any lower. It was a treat to see you.”

Bastion chirped happily and nodded, its stony joins crunching as it did so. Ganymede returned to Bastion’s head and mimicked the sound before its ride gave a robotic wave and began its slow stomp back into the trees.

Zenyatta turned back to his demonic boyfriend, who had been staring at him for a while. “That was not so bad, was it?” he asked. “But thank you, nonetheless, for protecting me. You are very sweet.”

“Not as sweet as you,” Genji replied instinctively.

“I’d beg to differ.” Zenyatta chuckled. “And it seems that neither of us won our wager. Bastion found the flowers before either of us.”

“Uh, according to you,” Genji scoffed. “I found them first. I just also found him at the same time.”

“Of course you did,” Zenyatta hummed. “Would you like to show me the flowers, then?”

“Yeah. Just… don’t be surprised if there are less than I say, because a lot of them were growing on your stone friend.”

Zenyatta giggled and leaned over to kiss Genji on the cheek. Just as he pulled away, Genji swiped out and grabbed his wrist, making the witch freeze. Bright demonic eyes watched Zenyatta’ stared deep into his soul and searched his insides. Genji said nothing.

“Genji… what--?”

 

**“Marry me.”**

 

Zenyatta’s eyes widened. He searched genji’s face for any kind of hesitation, any sign of a joke, and somehow he found none. The witch huffed nervously.

“I… I’m afraid that I don’t get the joke…” he said.

“I’m not joking,” Genji replied seriously. “I want you to marry me.”

“Wh-what brought this on?”

“I love you,” Genji said. “I love you like I’ve never loved anything in my long, long life. I want you… forever-- or as long as I can have you.”

“You have me already, Genji,” Zenyatta cupped his boyfriend’s face.

“Yeah but… but you’re human,” he whispered. “I don’t know how long your definition of _‘forever’_ will be. You could die tomorrow, you could die a hundred years from now, but--- I’m going to live forever. No matter what, it’ll barely be a blink of an eye to me.

“I want you-- I _need_ you, Zenyatta. Our time together, no matter how long or short, will never change that… but the idea of continuing on without you… it’ll kill me. I need some kind of proof-- something material, even if it’s just paperwork-- something that will say that you were here. Something that will say that you were real, that _we_ were real.”

“Oh, Genji…” Zenyatta whispered, bumping their heads together. “Memories are a powerful treasure. I know that you will not forget me.”

“You don’t know,” Genji choked. “Demons live for so long… It gets so hard to keep your mind in one piece. There are elders that I’ve met that can barely keep this decade separate from a decade a millenia ago. Our bodies don’t age, they barely change with the passage of time, but our minds decay with all the weight of memory. 

“I might forget you one day, or even worse, I could go mad. I could be living in a waking dream made of my own memories, mixed and mashed and poisoned all together so that I cannot tell reality from dreams. To have something physical-- to know that we were real-- it would keep me sane.”

Zenyatta cooed and shushed Genji. He pet his hair and kissed his laboured breathing away, brushing their noses together and holding him close in the hope that physical contact could bring him back from the brink of crying.

“I won’t let that happen, Genji,” Zenyatta said. “It may be a bit early for anything like marriage, but no matter what, I will make sure that I do not leave you alone. I will not die tomorrow or anytime soon. We have a long time to figure something out. Together.”

Genji whispered, mirroring the last word back at Zenyatta.

“Yes, Genji,” Zenyatta kissed him gently once more. “Together.”

They held each other for moments longer, even after they had finished murmuring and confessing quietly. The sun sleepily ducked lower, the task of finding flowers all but forgotten. Hands clung to clothing until their nails went numb and wrinkles became permanent.

But eventually the passage of time called to them and they needed to leave the deep woods. They spoke of marriage no more, silence filling the clearing as they held hands and plucked fragile plants together. The lack of sound did not sit heavy upon their shoulders. Instead, it draped over them like a warm and safe blanket. They need say nothing, as they both already knew that all had been said, and they had each other.

A large stone golem followed far behind as they made their way back towards the safer area of the forest, making sure that they left safely. Birdsong filled the canopy and echoed off of each enormous tree that towered over the floor.

Their hands still held one another’s as they left the deep woods, and still when they left the entire woods themselves. Fear and sadness no longer hovered over them from the confession. The sight of their home (and didn’t the idea of the home being _theirs_ bring them comfort) sent warmth through their bones. Zenyatta squeezed Genji’s hand, and Genji squeezed back.

No matter what, they would face the horrors of the future with bravery and confidence.

Together

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> gay? in my fanfic? 
> 
> its more likely than u think


	16. They Approach

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zenyatta, Genji, and a friend spend a nice day at home. Genji cannot get an idea out of his mind.
> 
> Someone visits.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ok ok sooo im probably gonna change update day from a SOLID sunday/monday to a VAGUE sunday/monday because im apparently in a crappy writing streak where i dont wanna write. even tho i do wanna write??? tf. why is my brain like this.

Somehow, the idea didn’t just go away.

_Marry me._

It had come to Genji in a time of insecurity, or fear of the future. Since then him and Zenyatta had spoken about their feelings at home. Each sat on the bed in their comfortable indoor clothes and snuggled up while they spoke of what the future might hold. The good and the bad, whatever it may be.

It should have made him feel better. It should have resolved his insecurities. It should no longer have held a bitter place in his chest.

And it didn’t.

But still, Genji could not stop thinking about it.

What were human customs of marriage? There were so many across so large of an area, there must have been hundreds of ways of asking the question properly. Even then, surely magical and non-magical folk also had different ways of proposing. Which one held meaning to Zenyatta?

Genji had only lived in a family of royal demons. He had seen family and distant relatives married before, watched the decision be made in a room full of stuffy ancient lords, with neither fiancee present. He had watched high and low ranking fiends kneel to Hanzo in an attempt to get their slimy fingers into the Shimada empire.

 

His mother and father had told both of their sons long ago how they became engaged.

“It was not a very customary engagement,” Sojiro admitted. “When we met, I had already been decided to marry another in order to expand the empire. Your mother was from a smaller clan, younger compared to the Shimada name.”

_We hated each other,_ Momo said. _I thought that he was some old-blood prick._

“I thought she was a young, cocky newblood.”

_I was the most powerful demon born in a millenia. As soon as my magical powers manifested, I was sent off to marry another young lord far away. It disgusted me, being treated like a chess piece._

“If you both married someone else, how did you get together?” Genji asked.

_You know me very well, Sparrow. You know I do not do anything I do not want,_ Momo hummed. _When I was sent to the kingdom against my will, I made sure that they knew I did not want to be there._

Hanzo spoke up. “What did you do?”

_I slaughtered them all,_ their mother said with a smile. _And the kingdom became mine._

Genji ‘oo’ed and ‘aww’ed in amazement and Hanzo nodded sagely, even in his younger age taking notes on how to act in the future. Their parents chuckled.

Sojiro took over the story. “Because she had amassed such a reputation so quickly, she was invited to the annual old blood dance. It was the second time we had ever spoken, and still we hated each other.”

_Your father was jealous of my power,_ Momo chuckled.

“Only a little bit,” he laughed. “You were terrifying. From then on, you came to every meeting and conference like some kind of force of nature, shoving your way past weaker bloodlines and clawing your way to the top.”

_It was impossible to avoid you at any of them, since you were the guest of honour many times._

“Slowly, we got to know each other, and found we had more in common than we originally thought.”

Momo giggled. _You were so goofy, I’m not surprised that Genji inherited it. You never failed to make me laugh._

“I took it as a challenge,” Sojiro smiled. “You were always so serious-looking and austere. The first time I had only wanted to see if you could smile, but when I saw that you could, I became addicted.”

The two demon lords ginned, their story temporarily forgotten as they gazed into one another’s eyes. 

“Then what happened?” Genji butted in, oblivious of the moment.

“Eventually, I had to fulfill the contract that I had been in since I was conceived, and marriage with another was right around the corner.”

Genji gasped an ‘oh no!’ and Hanzo sat up straighter, making their parents chuckle.

“We spoke to my betrothed and surprisingly, they felt the same way,” Sojiro continued. “But the elders would not budge on the subject.”

_They were very much against ‘change’ in any aspect._

“What did you do?” Hanzo asked. 

_What do you think, my little bright one?_

“You killed them!” Genji called.

“Not exactly,” Sojiro said. “We tried to reason with them first--”

_Then when it did not work, we got rid of those who stood in our way._

Genji cheered and Hanzo’s grip on his pants tightened, eyes shining as he knelt formally on the tatami. 

From that point, it had turned into a sort of teaching moment for the kids. Momo and Sojiro had explained how it was important to try and be diplomatic, but when that did not work, to destroy your enemies.

 

With the marriage problem, Genji did not have anyone to slaughter. There was no larger enemy to kill, there was no opposition to fight over Zenyatta with. There was only the two of them, loving each other. What was Genji to do if there was not some romantic bump in the road to conquer? What was he supposed to conquer, then? His feelings? That was just stupid.

It was not as if there were any other humans that Genji could ask about it. The only ones he knew, he knew through Zenyatta, and if he asked they would no doubt rat him out. The the surprise would be ruined.

No matter how much genji wanted to leap head first into it like he did everything else, Zenyatta was right (as always). They had time. He could wait it out and covertly collect any information that he needed for his mission, perhaps make nice with the other mortals in order to cement their loyalty to him so that he knew for sure they would not tell Zenyatta.

 

“Am I really that boring, brother?” Hanzo asked.

“Yeah, yeah. Okay.” Genji mumbled, still staring at the front door.

“You’re not even listening.”

“I totally am.”

“Can you tell me what we were just talking about?”

“Mom and dad miss me, blah blah, they want me to come back, blah blah--”

“Wrong,” Hanzo huffed, leaning back on his chair and shaking his head.

“Okay, then. They want me to bring Zenyatta ba--”

“Also wrong.”

“What?!” Genji exclaimed. “Fine, fine. Tell me again. I’ll listen this time.”

Hanzo sighed, obviously not believing him. “I honestly can’t tell if you’re better or worse since you’ve started shacking up with the human.”

“I am not--!” Genji automatically argued. “--just shacking up with him! It’s more than that!! This isn’t like before, niisan.”

Hanzo shook his head again. “You’re much too easy to rile up, you know.”

The younger brother crossed his arms like a petulant child and grumped to himself, earning a chuckle from Hanzo. He reached over and ruffled his hair. “I honestly cannot tell if he has made you better or worse. I would say that you pay attention more, but you only do so if Zenyatta is in the room.”

“Too bad for you that he isn’t, then.”

“It will be too bad for you if I need to come over there and pinch your ear.”

“Just tell me what you wanted to, niisan! Quit harassing me!”

Hanzo laughed fully this time, and Genji was filled with a kind of satisfaction that he could hear such a thing more now that he was not constantly getting in the family’s way.

The older brother sighed. “Of course mother and father miss you, but they don’t want to to feel forced to come back,” he elaborated. “You weren’t being that inconspicuous at the dinner. I’m pretty sure that even the walls could see how far you’ve fallen for your human.”

Genji’s cheeks turned pink and he mumbled, secretly happy. “So then why are you here?”

“Just a check up,” Hanzo shrugged. “Despite what you may think, I do care about you and your happiness.”

“Aww, niisan…”

“And your stupid dragon keeps pestering me when I’m trying to work--”

“Nevermind fuck off Hanzo.”

Hanzo laughed again and was joined by Genji. As their mirth echoed through the kitchen, they barely noticed the sound of the front door closing and Zenyatta entering. The witch smiled at the sight he found.

“You two are having fun.”

“No we’re not!” Genji called. “Hanzo is bullying me!”

Hanzo scoffed. “Like you wouldn’t be harassing me worse if we were at home.”

“No bullying in my house,” Zenyatta chuckled. “Now what was the news you were so intent on telling us?”

“Nothing you need worry about,” Hanzo waved. “Just that the co-heads of the Shimada clan wish you two the best.”

“He’s toning it down,” Genji stage whispered. “I’m pretty sure they’re already building a separate wing to the palace for us.”

Hanzo rolled his eyes. “Like you aren’t already doing that in your mind.”

Genji sputtered and swung a finger out accusingly, his mouth barely choking out an embarrassed ‘SHUT UP NIISAN’ before Zenyatta quickly held his boyfriend back. A shit-eating grin sat on Hanzo’s face, which made Genji turn an even deeper shade of red.

“Let’s stop talking about that!” Genji announced. “Who was at the door?”

“Our new friend, Lena,” Zenyatta played along with his bashful boyfriend. “She was just saying goodbye.”

“Goodbye?”

“Yes. Her and her coworkers are going to be moving on to the next town by tomorrow’s first light.”

“Aw, really? They were only here for a week at most.”

Zenyatta shrugged. “It is the nature of their work. Thankfully she promised to visit again on her way back. They are a very nice group.”

“At least it means that there aren’t any dangers in town.”

Hanzo perked up. “Dangers? what dangers?”

Genji winced. “Oh, yeah, right. Well, there might be some group of humans that are trying to hurt witches and wizards.”

“What?” he hissed. “That is preposterous. If anything, magical beings should be ruling over your realm. They are stronger and smarter than--”

“Niisan, your demon is showing,” Genji drawled. 

Hanzo scowled. “I _am_ a demon.”

“Yeah, but you don’t have to act like one by ranting about ruling over the mortals all the time.”

“I don’t do that.”

“Before you know it, you’re gonna start sounding like those cranky elders that lecture dad 24/7.”

“No I won’t.”

“Yeah, who am I kidding, you sound like them already.”

“No I do not!”

Zenyatta laughed as he watched the two brothers bicker and argue back and forth until the sun dipped lower in the sky. Hanzo stayed with them for the rest of the day and eagerly assisted in making dinner, watching with rapt attention as Zenyatta prepared whatever he was making for dessert.

Getting any kind of cooking done was more challenging than usual since either demon would frequently get sidetracked by each other, bickering taking their entire attention span and rendering their help useless. Zenyatta opted to ignore them and finish the meal all by himself.

After their midair play wrestling almost knocked over a glass jar, Zenyatta pulled both of their ears and said that if they did not shape up, neither would be getting dessert afterwards. It was safe to assume that both acted on their best behavior afterwards.

Dinner filled with loud laughter and long conversations made Zenyatta’s chest ache with nostalgia. He left genji and Hanzo alone together in the kitchen, their elbows constantly jabbing and prodding while they washed the dishes by hand, and let the tug towards his workshop pull him along. 

Talking with Mondatta made his already excellent evening somehow better.

 

“Thank you again for letting me stay for the meal,” Hanzo bowed.

“Really, it is a gift to have you visit us,” Zenyatta shook his head. “You are welcome over anytime.”

“Yeah, niisan, don’t start being an antisocial stranger,” Genji smirked.

“And you don’t forget that your poor, lonely dragon exists. It might begin thinking that you like Zenyatta better.”

“To be fair, I’m pretty sure Udon like Zenyatta better than me, too.”

Hanzo chuckled. “Goodnight, Genji; Zenyatta.”

And with another small bow and a poof of smoke, Hanzo was gone. Immediately Genji cackled gleefully and plucked Zenyatta from the ground, making him yelp.

“Finally,” he purred. “We’re all alone…”

“Oh my. Whatever shall I do?” Zenyatta chuckled.

Genji gave him the answer without words, eagerly pressing their mouths together and relishing in each and every inch their their bodies touched. A muffled giggle came from the witch once more and Genji hummed along, his mouth almost watering as he moved his lips downwards and kissed along the soft skin of Zenyatta’s neck.

Genji’s focus was entirely on the man in his arms as he lazily floated back down the staircase and into their room. _Their_ room. The sound of it, even in his head, made Genji want to throw Zenyatta down onto the bed and kiss him silly. 

Had there ever been anything that had made him so happy?

He did not have enough time to figure it out, as there came a strong and rapid knock from the front door. Zenyatta squirmed and tried to alert Genji, but the demon was having none of it. He had enjoyed seeing his brother, but in the end Genji was a selfish and evil demon who wanted his cute human boyfriend all to himself. 

The witch had only just begun relaxing again when another knock came, this time even louder. Genji pulled back with a dramatic groan and bumped his head against the sheets next to Zenyatta, making him chuckle.

“I won’t be very long--”

“No,” Genji pouted. “I’m going to answer this time, and I’m gonna tell them that your hours are currently closed and you’re busy,” Zenyatta snorted as genji pressed a finger to his nose. “You. Stay right here. I wanna see you all laid out and smiley when I get back.”

“As you wish, honourable demon prince,” Zenyatta smiled brighter than the sun.

Genji was pushing it, using his near super speed to get to the door faster while there was surely a human on the other side. He yanked it open, face schooled into something grim and grumpy, expecting to find some annoying human wanting business at a stupid hour.

But instead it was a human they knew. Angela.

Genji’s scowl melted away. “Angela? Why are you here? I thought you were leaving.”

In fact, the blonde woman looked almost out of breath. “Genji,” she panted. “Is-- is Zenyatta here?”

“Uh, yeah?” he answered, sounding more like a question. “What’s going on?”

Angela’s eyes darted around; behind Genji into the house-- into the woods-- back to him. “Talon,” she said. “They’re here.”

“What?!”

“We were wrong,” she went on. “They’re here. That-- that woman from before. The one that cornered Zenyatta, she was one of them.”

“Fuck,” Genji hissed. “I knew it.”

“He needs to go-- to get out of here. Can you get him?”

Zenyatta stepped out from the bedroom, having heard the frantic voices. “Get who?”

“Zenyatta!” Angela sighed, relief pouring out of her very atoms. “Thank goodness you’re here-- and you’re okay!”

Zenyatta’s brows creased and he looked between the two. “What is happening? Are you okay?”

“I’m fine-- we’re all fine--” she said.

“Talon is here,” Genji finished. 

“You need to go somewhere safe,” Angela picked back up. “You said that the path back to town is protected, yes? Take it, meet Lena and Jack there, they can take you the rest of the way.”

Zenyatta looked like he wanted to argue, like he wanted to stand and fight those who would come to hurt him, but he relented at the last second and nodded. “I understand. Let us depart, Genji.”

Angela’s eyes bugged out. “Genji? Are you-- are you a magic user, too?”

“No, but--”

“Then it would be safer if you stayed here. I can keep guard over you and the tower.”

“What?” Genji exclaimed. “I’m not staying behind!”

Angela frowned and, somehow, Genji felt scolded. “Listen carefully; wherever Zenyatta goes, danger will follow. Our job is to make sure that everyone stays safe, including civilians.”

“All the more reason that I need to come along,” Genji growled. “I am not completely without self defence.”

The blonde woman’s eyes flashed with frustration, the night’s stresses finally coming to a peak, but Zenyatta stepped in.

“I’m sorry, Angela,” he said, voice firm. “But I will not be leaving Genji behind.”

An expression of pure offence came over her face and-- just as quickly as it appeared-- it melted away and she sagged with fatigue. Angela wiped a delicate hand over her face and took a deep breath, letting it out all at once.

“Fine. Let us go. If you are not staying, then I have no reason to either. I will escort you back to town.”

“Thank you,” Zenyatta bowed. 

“Don’t thank me yet,” she said. “The night is not yet over.”

With much urging from the woman, Zenyatta and Genji only had enough time to grab the absolute essentials; shoes, hats, cloaks, and a small dagger. An air of pressure hung over the three as they locked up and headed out into the night. Even the evening was rushed, the sun having gone down seemingly earlier than usual. What was only dark orange and purple moments ago was almost a pitch black.

There had never been any dangers to or from the tower before, but suddenly even the trees felt as if they had eyes on them. No sound of life, no animals nor bugs, came from within the forest around them. Even the wind seemed to have stopped. The only sounds came from the humanoids themselves, their boots disturbing the path underneath them. 

During the day it had felt quaint, but now the single person-width of the walkway pressed in against them from all sides.

“Don’t worry, Zen,” Genji said, his arm reaching forwards to hold Zenyatta’s. “It’ll be fine. You’re too badass to get hurt by some bozos.”

A weak smile came upon the witch, though Genji could not see it from where he walked behind. “Thank you, Genji. Your confidence means a lot.”

“Naturally,” he huffed, trying to keep spirits up. “Besides, even if they get through everyone else somehow, they’ll have to get past me before they even think about laying a hand on you.”

“Shush,” Angela whispered, walking last in the lineup.

And they did. The silence hung over the small group like a tangible thing until even the human woman seemed to feel it. Angela sighed.

“You…” she hesitated. “You are very protective of him.”

“Pff, of course,” Genji scoffed (quietly). “He’s mine, and I’m his. I’d rather die than have anything come to hurt Zenyatta.”

Then the silence fell over them again, Angela having run out of things to say to such things. To Zenyatta’s disappointment, Genji’s hand slipped from his arm and he was left without the warm comfort that even such a small thing brought him. He stopped, having all intents to switch places so that he could at least have the kind of poor view only available during the night of his boyfriend in front of him.

But all footsteps had stopped. Not just his.

Zenyatta turned around. Genji stood facing him, his eyes open, slightly farther away than arm's length. Had they stopped? Was something wrong?

Genji looked from Zenyatta down to his torso, his hands emerging from his cloak to feet at his stomach, as if he was checking for keys that were supposed to be in his pockets if pockets were at belly-button level. Then he looked back up.

Even in the dark of night, Zenyatta could see the blood that dripped from the corner of his mouth.

“... Genji?” he whispered.

The sound of a knife being pulled out of flesh. Genji flinching. Genji falling to his knees.

Angela. Angela standing behind Genji. Angela holding a bloody knife. Her eyes covered by darkness. A soft murmur.

“I’m sorry.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oh nooooo, the thing that ppl predicted would happen happened.... whatever will become of my fave gays...
> 
> only i kno ;3c


	17. Without You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The aftermath.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> just to let you know that angst makes the fluff all the sweeter and im also sorry (but not sorry enough to change my plot)

Zenyatta blinked rapidly, wincing at the sting of blood in his right eye. He hissed quietly, deciding to just keep it clamped shut instead. The lack of depth perception of one using one eye would only make a large difference if he tried to do anything extreme. 

The small pockets of fire that littered the surrounding forestry kept his workspace lit decently. Or at least decently enough to do what he needed to do. Zenyatta’s hands shook dramatically enough to almost fool himself, to think that he was actually doing it on purpose. His knees felt like if he tried to stand up he would barely get to a crouching position. 

He took a deep breath, let it out, took another.

The shaking only lessened by a minimal amount. It would have to do.

Zenyatta smeared his hand with the blood coming from the long gash on his face.

 

_”It will all be okay, Zenyatta,” Angela cooed, sounding like she was trying to comfort a scared animal._

_Genji knelt in the dirt, his eyes glazed and mouth slightly open. Wherever he was looking, it was far, far away. Somewhere Zenyatta could not go._

_“Come here,” Angela beckoned. Zenyatta almost gagged. Her outstretched hand had blood on it._

_Genji’s blood._

_“Come here, Zenyatta, it’s safe over here.”_

_Zenyatta stayed glued to where he stood._

_“Angela,” he said, voice terrifyingly calm despite how his spirit vibrated with emotion. “What have you done?”_

_“It’s fine,” she said. “He won’t hurt you. Come here.”_

_Like a machine only following its program, Zenyatta crouched and reached towards Genji, hand pulsing with magic so he could stabilize the wound. The demon would not look at him-- could not look at him._

_Angela screamed. “Don’t!”_

_Zenyatta hesitated._

_“Don’t touch him, he can still be dangerous. Come here, please,” she begged._

_“Dangerous?” Zenyatta could feel the magic in his palm crackle. “Are you unaware of how you are holding a knife?”_

_“I won’t touch you with it, Zenyatta,” Angela said. “I’m here to save you.”_

 

Zenyatta dragged his finger across the stone path, watching his dark blood leave lines behind it. Each swipe only lasted a few inches before his paint would run out and he reached towards his face again for more. Over and over; draw, swab, draw, swab. Zenyatta could not afford to shake, could not afford to smudge a single line. Each piece of the circle must be perfect, or all would be lost.

Someone was hiccuping, sniffling. Was it himself?

With no chalk, no wand, no candles, and only his own blood, he could only make the simplest of runes. Unless he bled himself out or ran back, both options resulting in death, he would not be able to summon who he truly needed.

And by the way that Genji lay on his side, skin translucent and breathing wheezy, Zenyatta doubted that summoning Udon would help.

 

_“Speak fast,” Zenyatta warned. “I find myself low on patience.”_

_“Your ‘friend’, Genji,” Angela elaborated. “He is a demon. He had you under his influence.”_

_Another crackle of the raw magic in the witch’s fist. “Is that what this is about? You think that I was under some kind of spell?”_

_“You were,” she said with full confidence. “It should wear off soon, as the enchantment takes effect. The demon was most likely trying to get close to you in order to devour your magic, or Maker forbid, your soul.”_

_“... Enchantment?” Zenyatta breathed, horror welling up from his stomach like bile._

_“Yes. This knife is enchanted to drain demonic energy. Soon enough he will be forced to withdraw his curse upon you if he wants to ration his magic and escape.”_

_The world spun, the dirt melted under his feet, the air turned acidic. Zenyatta was going to throw up._

_“There is nothing to dispel,” the witch muttered. “You would kill him.”_

_Angela sighed, as if she was explaining maths to a toddler. “He is a demon, Zenyatta, you must realize. Even now his glamour fades and you can see his horns, his facial markings,” she shook her head. “It is a good thing that I followed him the day we met. A demon so powerful enough to blend in with humans, with anger volatile enough to show its true form in broad daylight. If I came any later, you might have been--”_

_Angela shrieked as the knife in her hand was ripped from her fingers by an invisible force strongly enough for it to go flying into a nearby tree, embedding all the way until the hilt. She looked around rapidly, from the dazed demon on the ground to the dark forests surrounding them._

_Then she looked at Zenyatta._

_The witch shook with anger that he had never felt before, hands sparking and crackling with volatile magicks. His chest rose and fell with every heavy breath, his throat constricted with held back raw emotions, burning his lungs with every mouthful of freezing night air._

_Perhaps it was a trick of the moon, but Zenyatta’s eyes looked to flicker with a golden glare._

_“It is one thing for my own brother to do what he thinks best for me,” Zenyatta spoke, slowly, with a voice that made the leaves on the trees shake. “I will not have a stranger come into my business, into my **home,** and decide that they know my own life better than I do. To decide that my beloved needs to be **stabbed** because I may be some weak and withered warlock that is incapable of fending for myself.”_

_Zenyatta stepped forwards and Angela stepped back._

_“I will demonstrate how competent I truly am, and how no one-- human nor demon-- is able of controlling my will.”_

 

Absent-mindedly, Zenyatta found himself thanking Mondatta for taking away his summoning circle and reference materials. If he had not, then Zenyatta would not know the pattern by heart, would not know every inch and scribble like one knew the inside of their own skull.

By the time that the large circle was finished, a majority of Zenyatta’s face wound had dried up. He had been forced to reopen it twice in order to finish the entire thing, the size at least one person in diameter, filled with both large and tiny runes.

But there was no more time. No time to be a perfectionist when it came to each detail and no time to meditate and find the nearest door to the demon world. Zenyatta had to push through the barrier now, had to push through _yesterday._ With every second, Genji became weaker. He could feel it.

Zenyatta raised his arms, eyes wide and staring up into the starless sky as he chanted loudly.

_Please work._

Zenyatta slammed both palms, covered in scratches and gravel and blood, down onto the summoning circle.

_Please work._

Steam bellowed out from within the large magic circle, almost scalding Zenyatta’s face. The magic rushing out screamed at him to let go, to pull back, break contact with the bloody lines on the ground.

Zenyatta held.

All at once the summoning circle inhaled-- and then coughed out a plume of smoke. Zenyatta could feel how the spell had drained the magic out of his blood, how the veins in his wrists burned, how his hands felt numb. If he had used any more blood drawing it, surely the magic would have killed him.

There was a reason that wizards used the blood of others to summon demons.

The smoke slowly parted and the very first thing that touched Zenyatta’s ears was the sound of clicking. Clicking, the shifting of fabric, the gurgle of slime and miasma. The witch tried to push himself up, but the spell must have drained him more than he originally thought, as he could only stumble back onto his knees.

The smoke parted around a foot-- two feet-- several feet--

A mass of writhing spider legs.

 

_Angela yelped as the wind whipped up from under her feet, dead leaves flying into the air and spinning in a vortex that trapped each person inside._

_“Ever since I was born, ever since my tiny hands manifested magic, my life has had a target on its forehead,” Zenyatta said. “I have broken free of the box society had crafted for me and I’ve stood next to Tekhartha Mondatta at the forefront of protests for mage rights. I’ve lived on my own for years, invented the cure for the common cold, and fought off more people who were after my life than I can count._

_“If a demon wanted to taste the air forty feet away from my soul, I would have cooked them to a burnt char of coal before they could open their mouth. After all of the fighting I have done for my right to be free, my right to **exist,** there is not a being in this entire mortal plane that could take my free will from me without one or both of us being dead.”_

_Each step that Zenyatta took forced Angela backwards. If she looked down, she would have been able to see the inch between the soles of Zenyatta’s shoes and the ground, but she could not. Her terrified gaze was locked onto the witch._

_His eyes had ceased flickering with gold and instead glowed constantly, matching the bright light that emanated from the orbs on his hat, which twitched like eggs about to hatch._

_“Leave this place,” Zenyatta’s voice filled the forest. “Or I may be forced to show you just how I repay those who hurt the ones I love.”_

 

“Tekhartha-sama…?” the jorogumo asked, stunned as she looked around the charred forest clearing. “What…? Your horns--” She gasped as her eyes landed on Genji. “Shimada Genji-sama!” 

“Ako, thank goodness.” Zenyatta exhaled in relief. “I was afraid that it would be someone unfamiliar.”

“What-- did you summon me here?”

“Yes, I did. Please, I need you to get help.”

Ako hesitated, still too flabbergasted to register what was happening. “B-but… only humans can summon demons…”

“I’ll tell you everything-- anything you want--” Zenyatta begged. “But please, take Genji, get him to your healers.”

“You are bleeding,” Ako protested. “You need aid-- but, but I am only able to bring Shimada-sama with me. I-- I do not know how to bring a human.”

“My wounds are not life-threatening, but his are. Please, hurry.”

The jorogumo fluttered back and forth between Genji’s lifeless vessel and Zenyatta’s crimson face. “I-- I do not know if you are truly a human, Tekhartha-sama, but I cannot leave you behind,” Ako murmured. “I will get help for you also. Please, stay here. Help is on the way.”

Ako bent down near Zenyatta, who could only watch as she laid a hand on Genji and took them both back to their home in a poof of white smoke. Breathing in, it smelled like aches and left a sticky feeling on his tongue. 

Finally the silence of the forest and the empty battleground settled over Zenyatta’s shoulders. The ache of his overtaxed magic and the sting from his facial injury at last sunk into his bones. There he knelt on the ground. The salt of his sweat dripped into his open cut and burned and his low energy tempted him to fall face-first into the dirt.

Zenyatta was alone.

 

_Zenyatta knelt at his lover’s side, fear stabbing him through the chest as he reached out with his magic and felt how small Genji’s energy had become. How it wavered and quivered like a leaf in autumn. Thankfully there was time. He could figure something out, perhaps counter the magic that poisoned Genji’s veins. He could draw lines in the dirt with light and summon help from a demon who might know what to do._

_“... What are you doing?” Angela asked, hesitant._

_Zenyatta did not answer her._

_“This is not normal,” she muttered to herself. “You should be free by now, or trying to kill me. Has it not worked?”_

_“Genji…?” Zenyatta cooed gently. “Can you hear me?”_

_“This has never happened before…” Angela said._

_As Zenyatta brushed the black hair out of Genji’s face and gently pressed a hand to his forehead, he did not hear the sound of footsteps. He did not notice how Angela snuck towards the tree and tried to pry her dagger from its wooden prison. The rest of the world could have frozen over or burned away and none of it would have registered to the witch. The only thing that mattered was the weak demon below him._

_Genji’s eyes were wide open despite how he acted almost asleep. As Zenyatta called his name he barely reacted in the least. Zenyatta cupped his cheek and turned their faced to look at one another, but still Genji could only see through him._

_It was a fluke-- some kind of sheer luck-- that Zenyatta took his eyes off of Genji at all._

_And saw Angela raise an arm above her head._

_Zenyatta shouted, pulling Genji in close and covering him with his own body, as her hand came down. His body was filled with enough adrenaline that he did not feel the sharp rock that she wielded cut through his brow and cheek. He did not cry out, did not even flinch._

_But the feeling of warm human blood on her hand made Angela gasp and pull back. “Zenyatta, please!” she cried. “Let me help you! You are being tricked-- being manipulated!”_

_She would up again, ready to strike, and Zenyatta tucked Genji in closer. Teeth gnashing together, mind scrambled, only his instinct protected him from the blow._

_Zenyatta’s magic shoved Angela back and she yelped as she landed on her ass, her improvised weapon flying back. She rubbed her back and looked up in time to watch fire spread out from the two humanoids in the middle of the clearing. Angela jumped up just in time as the flames licked at the air and grew rapidly, swirling around in some kind of deathly shield and pushing outwards._

_She ran into the woods._

_The fire devoured anything flammable in the span of moments. It climbed trees and swallowed bushes._

_And then, just as suddenly, it stopped._

_The flames put themselves out after they had formed a perfect charred circle around Zenyatta. The witch could only breathe and shiver as his mind came down and sanity returned to him, his arms clamped desperately to the rapidly weakening boy in his arms._

 

“Zenyatta.”

The witch gathered enough strength to lift his head. He had lost track of time after Genji had been taken away. Had he been sitting there for minutes? Hours? His body felt just as exhausted as it had before and his mind just as slow.

“... Hanzo,” Zenyatta murmured when he blinked away the fog in his eyes. “Did you take Genji to safety? Will he be okay?”

“You are wounded,” the demon deflected. “Come with me, I am here to help.”

Zenyatta obediently took the hand offered to him, wheezing as he stood. “Please,” he begged weakly. “Please, tell me, what has happened to Genji? Is he being taken care of?”

Hanzo watched the human in his arms with a critical eye. He watched as Zenyatta wobbled with just the simple task of standing. He tasted in the air how much magic had been expended. It almost filled his nose to an unbearable level, flooding his sinuses. 

Hanzo shook his head softly.

“Humans will never cease to astonish me,” he said. “Your face is covered in blood, your shirt stained to an unsalvageable level, and your legs weak enough to be pushed over by a soft wind. Yet still, you ask of Genji first.”

Zenyatta looked up at the demon, his eyes filled with enough fire to fool someone else into thinking that he was faking his wounds and exhaustion. His bright blue eyes flashed with a challenge, but Hanzo did not take it.

“Genji is recovering,” he said. “Now it is your turn. You have done good, rest.”

Zenyatta let out a sigh, closed his eyes, and did not open them again as his breath slowed and turned into soft snores. Even as the barrier between realms pushed resisted the two travellers, he slept.

= = =

Zenyatta awoke in a plush bed, almost suffocating (equally by the soft blankets and the heavy atmosphere of the demon realm).

His body could have been dragged behind a speeding cart and it would have felt the same as it did then. Still his veins burned with magic exhaustion, but it had softened to an ever-present ache, and the cut on his face itched and stung. His travelling garb had been stripped from him, but still he wore the bare minimum amount of clothing. He blinked and realized that he had both of his eyes open, a small wave of relief coming over him at the fact that he had not been blinded.

Zenyatta sat up, grunting with sleep-heavy effort. He was in a room that he had never been in, but was not surprised. From what he had seen of the palace it could have housed an entire town. Even after being kidnapped and then visiting twice on his own volition, this soom was unfamiliar to him.

It was more open than the one he had stayed in when Hanzo kidnapped him and the bed was larger. There was a large screen door that spanned almost the entire west wall and dark native plants in each corner of the room. 

He hucked the heavy blankets off of himself and managed to escape the ridiculously plush bed. Zenyatta padded with bare feet to the screen door and pulled them open. Outside was a small patio that oversaw the large forest outside the property. Still the sky was grey and the clouds almost nonexistent. 

Like it had been stuck in time.

“You’re awake.”

Zenyatta turned towards the bedroom door, which he had not heard open, to find Hanzo standing there. His memory may have been hazy due to his past exhaustion, but he could have sworn that he had not been wearing the same outfit before. 

Instead Hanzo wore the most casual outfit he had ever witness on him (which was not very casual, but seeing it on Genji’s older brother was like walking into his bedroom and accidentally catching him in pyjamas) and his hair was tied into a messy bun instead of braided into a work of art.

“How long have I been asleep?” Zenyatta asked.

“In human metrics?” Hanzo said. “A day, maybe more.”

The loss of time was a blow to Zenyatta’s calm, but he sucked in a breath through his nose and refocused himself. “And Genji? Is he okay?”

At this, Hanzo’s face turned grim, and he did not answer.

“... Hanzo?”

Hanzo shook his head slightly and turned back towards the doorway. “Come with me.”

Zenyatta could only follow.

The demon’s indoor slippers softly slapped on the wooden floors and Zenyatta followed with his bare footed padding. 

Zenyatta looked at the floor. “I apologize, Hanzo. You have done so much, taken me back here, and I have not yet thanked you.”

“It is only to be expected,” Hanzo waved it off. “Much has happened to you in the past 48 hours, you are allowed to slip up on your manners.”

The witch wanted to bring up Genji, to make a jab about not letting him know this loophole in the ‘Shimada Manners Handbook’, but the thought only brought a sick feeling of worry.

“I must have caused you much trouble, coming here as human.”

“You are a human, and it would have been discovered one day. Better now than later.”

“Have you gotten in trouble with--”

“Zenyatta,” Hanzo murmured. “There is no need for you to worry about such things. I have been training to inherit the family for centuries and have gotten cleaning up Genji’s messes down to an art.”

The witch sagged. He supposed that Hanzo was correct, he would have had everything under control by now, but still worry gnawed at him.

 

The room they turned off into must have been Genji’s. Colourful and exciting postered lined the walls, including a large tapestry with two large dragons, one green and one blue. On a nearby cabinet sat a display for Genji’s weapons, including a very disorganized pile of shuriken.

And on the bed, Genji.

Bandages hugged his bare torso. His breathing was still shallow and his skin still pale, but he looked more alive than he had the last time Zenyatta saw him. The sight caused relief to wash over the witch. Genji looked peaceful.

“Will he-- his vessel-- be okay?” Zenyatta asked. 

“His vessel will heal perfectly fine,” Hanzo said. “But the same cannot be said for Genji himself.”

Suddenly the sight of a peaceful, sleeping Genji filled Zenyatta with dread instead of relief.

“By any normal weapon, Genji would have barely been affected by the wound. It is likely that he would not have even needed to retreat from his vessel--” Hanzo said. “But the weapon that he was struck with, it was not normal, was it?”

“No,” Zenyatta murmured. “It was not. It was a dagger meant for demons.”

Hanzo looked down at his brother, his brow furrowing as he sighed through his nose. “It is as I thought,” he said, voice sad despite the neutral expression he wore. “Whatever it was enchanted with has done its job well. His wounds may close, but the poison will still run through his veins.”

“What does it mean for Genji?”

“It means that he is in very grave danger. If he were to wake, to try and exert himself or his energy in any way, it is most likely that he would perish. So he will stay asleep.”

“For how long?”

“To us, it would likely not be very long,” Hanzo said. “But to a human… I am afraid that you would most likely have died of old age when he wakes.”

Zenyatta could feel his heart shatter physically.

He could not help but feel that it was his fault. Genji being discovered, Genji being stabbed, Genji needing to be put into a coma. It all happened because of Zenyatta, in a way. If they had not met, perhaps. If he had been more careful with his summoning spell, if he had not tried to make friends with him, if he had listened to his brother.

What ifs of all kinds and lengths ran through Zenyatta’s head as his emotions fell apart, yet still his logical side knew that focusing on such things did nothing to help anyone. Through all of his internal blaming and fretting he knew that he was too selfish to have changed anything.

Perhaps being so selfish asked for such a punishment.

“Is there…” Zenyatta swallowed. “Is there nothing I can do? Nothing I can do to help?”

Hanzo looked at Zenyatta with a kind pity. “No. There is nothing that a human sorcerer could do to heal him faster.”

A minute must have passed-- or perhaps an hour-- as Zenyatta stared at Genji’s prone form and could not bring himself to summon any kind of comprehensible thought, until he felt a strong hand on his shoulder. He flinched, yanked from his empty thoughts, and looked to Hanzo. 

“I am sorry,” he said quietly, gently. “I know you care for him, would do anything you could for him. I know that he cares of you just as much if not more. We will try our best to heal him faster, but I can make no promises.”

Zenyatta nodded weakly, not quite trusting his voice.

“You are welcome here anytime, I shall leave the portal open for you. Even if Genji is asleep, I have come to think of you as a friend, and consider you as much family as Genji. You can visit to see him or anyone else that you wish.”

“And I’ll need my disguise?”

“Not quite,” Hanzo admitted. “News spreads fast in the staff. Everyone is aware of who and what you are, including my parents.”

A shudder ran down Zenyatta’s spine, which Hanzo must have been able to see. 

“They have not shown any negative opinions on the matter, but if you still do not feel safe I can accompany you.”

“No, no,” Zenyatta shook his head. “I will be fine. Thank you, Hanzo, for the offer.”

Hanzo did not correct ‘offer’ to ‘invitation’, but he understood enough and only patted his shoulder again before taking his hand away. He said something else, made an excuse to leave, but Zenyatta barely registered it.

Then he was alone with Genji.

He wanted to collapse to his knees and press his face against Genji’s neck, to see up close how he was recovering, to destroy the space in between them and feel his skin again.

But instead he ran. 

The next thing Zenyatta knew he was striding down the Shimada castle halls.

He could not look at Genji, could barely think of him. Genji was going to be fine. He was going to wake up in no time (for a demon) and be perfectly healthy. Genji was going to be fine.

And Zenyatta was going to be left behind.

Empathy for Genji’s previous worries struck him, or Zenyatta withering away and Genji being alone. He had worried about how fragile the witch was, how close to death humans were. Yet neither had never imagined it in this sense before. Neither had thought that Genji would be the one to perish.

Zenyatta scrubbed his face as he walked, his eyes stinging and hot with tears. He could feel the beginning of mucus forming in his nose, his breathing getting difficult, and more than anything he wished he could will it all away.

He tripped on his own feet, knees hitting the ground and startling a choked sob from him. Now not only was his body exhausted, but his kneecaps pulsed with pain and his palms stung with scrapes and rocks.

Rocks?

Zenyatta looked up. He was in a garden. Pink clouds-- no, cherry blossom trees-- towered over him. There was something familiar with how the colour blanketed every surface and obscured the path.

_[I was wondering if you would come.]_

Zenyatta felt his already weak heart jump as he heard Shimada Momo’s voice intrude on his mind. He was washed with a reminder of how he had hidden his true species and how she must have known by now.

 _[There is no need to cry,]_ said her voice. _[Come, stand up. Sit with me by the pond.]_

Warily, Zenyatta obeyed her. He could feel his leg muscles wobble and shake, but ultimately he made it to his destination. Momo was wearing a different kimono than before, lighter fabric that spilled over the ground for a longer distance, and had her hair down. She wore no makeup, though still her lips were beautifully red.

“I apologize for intruding upon your space, Shimada-sama,” Zenyatta tried to say calmly, though a sniffle escaped nonetheless.

 _[I already told you to call me Momo,]_ she scolded, not sounding angry at all. 

“I had assumed that you would not want me to use your first name after what I did.”

Momo hummed. _[Perhaps in another century I may have, but when you have a son as… ‘colourful’ as Genji, you learn to stay open-minded.]_

Zenyatta bowed his head slightly. “Then I am thankful to both you and him.”

_[You are being thankful that Genji has brought more scandalous things home than a human.]_

“He has bragged about it, yes.”

Momo opened her mouth for the first time and laughed in a real voice, a hand coming to rest on her chest. _[Both times I have seen you, I am able to see clearly how my son has come to love you.]_

_Love._

The sick feeling returned to Zenyatta’s stomach full force. Even Genji’s mother knew how Genji felt-- his feelings for Zenyatta had been strong enough to be obvious-- and Zenyatta was going to lose it.

Most of all, Genji would wake up alone.

Zenyatta’s eyes stung again and he rubbed them. To his surprise, a delicate hand came to rest on the center of his back.

 _[I am sorry, Zenyatta,]_ Momo looked at him with sadness in her eyes. _[I truly do not want you nor my son to be separated like this, but my power is not strong enough to heal him faster.]_

“I would not want you to overreach and endanger yourself.”

 _[I wouldn’t,]_ she said bluntly. _[I told my son that you are welcome to visit anytime you wish. I have grown fond of you in a short amount of time.]_

“Hanzo extended the offer when I last spoke to him.”

 _[Good,]_ Then Momo tilted her head downwards, eyes looking at the pond. _[But it is a shame, what Genji will lose.]_

“Lose…?” Zenyatta echoed.

 _[Such a powerful blessed weapon that struck him,]_ she gazed off somewhere far, far away. _[He will never real properly.]_

“What do you mean? I thought that his vessel would be fine.”

_[It will, but the damage done to Genji’s energy will scar him forever. What has been lost may never be regained, and genji will be left without a large part of him.]_

“What does that mean?” Zenyatta whispered, terrified of the answer.

Momo Shimada turned to him again, looking him in the eyes. _[It means that his little dragon, Udon, will disappear. It is made of excess power, the kind he was born with that every other Shimada also possesses, and it was likely what allowed Genji to survive the attack. Were he to not have Udon, he would be dead.]_

“Udon…?” Zenyatta could hear his own voice speaking, but his mind was stuck on a loop of loss and despair. “So it is…?”

_[Yes. Currently, Udon is gone.]_

Zenyatta felt himself-- his _entire_ self-- spiral. His stomach, his heart, his mind, it all fell through some dark hole in the floor and spiraled down into despair. His throat constricted with the need to scream, to yowl out his sorrow to the heavens and cry for eternity.

But he knew that no one, especially Genji, would benefit from Zenyatta allowing himself to fester in such emotions. He closed his eyes and breathed. In… out… in… out… Zenyatta forced himself to meditate on his emotions.

He pictured them as physical things, each insecurity and sadness that plagued him, and pictured his consciousness also. One by one Zenyatta looked at what he felt, accepted them all, and pulled each of them into an embrace.

 _‘I am allowed to feel this’,_ Zenyatta told himself. _‘It is okay if I am sad. How I feel makes me who I am, and I must love and cherish each and every part.’_

If it meant imagining himself hugging each feeling he felt, he would do so.

Zenyatta opened his eyes.

“Hanzo said that I could not help,” Zenyatta said. “But there must be something I can do.”

Momo looked at him in surprise, having watch him swallow his sadness and turn it into motivation. _[How demons use their magic to heal is different from humans--]_

“Anything,” Zenyatta insisted. “I’ll do anything.”

She watch him, searched his eyes for his true conviction, and found it. Momo huffed. _[There is something you can do, if you truly wish for him to wake up tomorrow with every piece of his soul intact.]_

Zenyatta wanted to blurt out that he would do it without even hearing what ‘it’ was, but he forced himself to keep his cool. “What do I need to do?”

_[You will need to sell me your soul.]_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> whaaaaat? another cliffhanger? who would have thought?
> 
> me. i thought. i knew because im a cliffhanger slut


	18. The Price of A Life

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zenyatta has made his choice and Genji wakes up the next day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hollyyy it is getting close!! im so excited for this to be over LOL god... i write way too damn much... i cant wait until the next project where i can hopefully tone myself down and give myself a gotdam break. also FANTASY IS HORD WHY DID I CHOSE THIS UUGGHHHH LORE SUXXXXXXXXX

“... ……. ..”

 

“.... … …. ji..”

 

“...... enji … …”

 

“... .. ….. .. . Genji..”

 

_“Genji!”_

Genji shot up, arms flailing outwards and making a dull whack as he smacked something. He could hear laughter, but the sun in his eyes meant that he could not see properly. A hand (soft, gentle) held his wrists in an attempt to stop Genji.

“Did I awake you from a particularly exciting dream?” said a familiar voice.

Genji couldn’t remember, and said so.

“That is too bad. I find dreams to be a wonderful window to the unconscious mind.”

“... Zenyatta?” Genji asked.

“Yes?” Zenyatta replied. “I am here.”

Genji blinked rapidly, willing his eyes to adjust to the harsh light of morning. Slowly his setting came to him. He was in Zenyatta’s room under the blankets of his bed. Zenyatta sat cross-legged in front of him, watching with soft eyes and a warm gaze. From the sound of birdsong outside the window, he assumed it was morning.

“It’s… morning?” he breathed, mind reeling. 

“It is,” Zenyatta reassured him. “Though I let you sleep in a little bit. I must confess that you were too cute and I was too weak to wake you.”

Genji looked around the room. There was something… different. Had Zenyatta moved the furniture? Repainted the walls? There was more stuff that took up space in the small bedroom. Small knick knacks speckled any kind of flat surface and posters lined the walls. 

But those were Genji’s posters, and Genji’s knick knacks, and Genji’s weapons.

“My stuff…” he muttered.

“Hm? Your stuff?” Zenyatta echoed. “Is there something missing? I promise that I have not moved a single thing. Everything should be where you left it last.”

Zenyatta turned back to his boyfriend and furrowed his brow in concern. “Are you alright? Did you sleep poorly?”

Genji was unable to break eye contact, unable to look away. “I don’t know…” he admitted. “I think so. I feel kind of groggy; like I’m forgetting something.”

The witch frowned. He bent forwards and planted a warm kiss on Genji’s head, cupping a cheek with his hand. “I am sorry that you did not sleep well, Genji,” he murmured. “I’m sure that you will remember whatever you have forgotten in no time. Do you need to rest some more?”

Genji shook his head. “No, I don’t think so. I’ll be fine.”

“If you still feel bad later I will make you some soup and we can nap together. Does that sound good?”

Was the sky blue? Was grass green? Just the image of such a thing made Genji’s heart soar.

“Yeah,” he smiled softly. He reached up, greedy for another kiss. Zenyatta just giggled and provided.

“If you keep this up, we’ll never get out of bed,” Zenyatta said.

“That doesn’t sound so bad,” Genji hummed and stole another kiss.

“Perhaps later. I still need your help with work today.”

Genji whined dramatically, but pulled away nonetheless. It made Zenyatta laugh and pat him on the stomach as if he was comforting a child. Genji chuckled too.

“Go brush your teeth, Zenyatta said. “I’ll meet you in the workroom soon.”

There was the sound of padding feet and the creak of a door and then Zenyatta was gone. Genji huffed and grunted as he pried himself for the comfortable cocoon of blankets that he had been in. As he walked from the bedroom to the bathroom Genji realized that he did not only feel groggy from sleep. There was something else, something he could not place. He felt heavier, like his feet were hitting the ground harder than they had before, like he was being dragged towards the ground by gravity.

Then Genji saw why.

In the bathroom mirror Genji stood frozen, staring with his mouth open. He rushed forwards, almost tripping on his own feet, as he lunged forwards to grab the sink and get a closer look.

Genji had no horns, no markings on his face. He looked at his hands, flipped them over to see both sides, and his claws were gone. In a fit of panic he tried to reach out with his energy and find what was wrong.

He found nothing.

He found nothing because he could not reach out at all. Try as he might he could not manipulate his energy at all. Genji jumped in the air and tried to stay afloat, tried to summon his sword, tried to make an object float, but it was no use.

Genji was human.

A plain human with no powers at all. There were no scars or marks on his face that gave a hint to the horns that used to be there. He was just a normal, average mortal.

Without thinking he sprinted to Zenyatta’s workshop, hand smacking on the doorframe as he grabbed it. The witch held a bottle in each hand and had his wand tucked behind his ear. At the dramatic sound he turned his head, causing the wand to fly off and clatter to the floor.

“Genji?” Zenyatta asked. “What’s wrong? Are you okay?”

Genji opened his mouth-- but the words clogged his throat. How did Zenyatta not notice? How did he not see? Did he think Genji to be using glamour? Why was Genji the only one freaking out?!

But why was he freaking out?

The demon’s mouth clapped shut. Human. Genji was human now. He could not fly, could not summon weapons with his will, could not magick items out of thin air. All of his powers were gone as well as his claws and his horns.

But Genji was the same species as Zenyatta now.

Genji would have the same lifespan as his partner. As Zenyatta grew old and gathered wrinkles, Genji would be able to share that experience with him. They would be able to walk the path of age and the passage of time hand in hand.

Together.

Genji’s grip on the doorframe relaxed and let go. “It… it was nothing,” he said.

“Are you sure?” Zenyatta watched him with concern. “You look like you saw a ghost.”

“Kind of,” he said and walked into the room. “I thought I saw something in the mirror, but I was wrong.”

Zenyatta seemed to accept that answer, his shoulders relaxing. “Sometimes the shadows do that if I hang a housecoat on the door. I’ve lost count of how many times it’s almost given me a heart attack.”

Genji smiled at the mental image. As soon as he crossed the room into Zenyatta’s space he closed the space between them and bumped his head on Zenyatta’s shoulder. Without a single word, Zenyatta wrapped his arms around him gently and rubbed his back. Genji slipped his hands onto Zenyatta’s hips.

“You can tell me if you are not okay,” Zenyatta reminded him softly.

“I know,” Genji said. “But I mean it, I’ll be fine.”

And he believed it. He was fine and would be fine in the future. He was going to live with Zenyatta-- not forever-- but as long as they both had. They were both mortal now, together, and there was nothing else that he wanted more.

He would be fine.

Genji tilted his head up and kissed his boyfriend again. Zenyatta hummed, his lips smiling against Genji’s, and he knew that he would never get tired of the sensation. As soon as he introduced tongue to the equation, Zenyatta squawked and pushed him away.

“Genji!” he yelled. “You didn’t brush your teeth at all!”

Genji bust out into laughed, his arms hugging his sides. “That was the best possible reaction that I could have got!”

“That was absolutely disgusting,” Zenyatta scrubbed his mouth with a sleeve, though Genji could see a grin tugging at the corner of his lips.

“Mm, you love it,” Genji sing-songed and drew out the ‘o’. He reached forwards and made kissy noises at his boyfriend, who cried ‘yuck!’ and pushed at him half-heartedly.

“Keep your morning breath away from me!”

“You love it and you love me!” Genji said with more breath than needed, causing the witch to scrunch up his nose.

“I’m not so sure,” Zenyatta muttered. Genji barked out a laugh again and this time his boyfriend joined him. They held each other as the moment lasted, and ended it with (closed mouth) kisses.

“I love you,” Zenyatta murmured.

“I love you too,” Genji said with all of his heart.

“Genji.”

“Yeah?”

“Genji.”

“... Huh?”

“Genji, can you hear me?.”

“What are you talking about?”

 

Then he opened his eyes.

He was not in Zenyatta’s tower. He was not in the human world at all.

Genji lay in his bed and stared at the ceiling. His eyes felt as if they had been sandblasted and when he tried to open his mouth and speak, his throat burned. He wearily turned his neck as he felt the weight on his left shift and saw his brother.

“... Hanzo?” he managed to say.

It was subtle, trained by decades of lessons on keeping a resting bitch face at all times, but Genji had known him for longer. There was a flash of something, an untensing of his shoulders, a twitch of his mouth.

“Genji,” said another voice.

He turned to the left and saw his father towering over him. Unlike his son, Sojiro showed his relief openly. A large hand came up to cup Genji’s face to tuck his hair behind an ear. 

With a grunt and some help from the men of either side, Genji managed to sit up in his bed. At the foot kneeled his mother. She was smiling at him, her eyes full of affection. But there was something off. Something about the informality of Hanzo’s clothes, something about the bags under Sojiro’s eyes, something about the untidiness of Momo’s hair.

“Okaasan…? Otousan? What’s going on?” Genji asked. “Why is everyone sitting around my bed? Did I forget something important?”

“Not today,” Hanzo said. The usual brand of his humor somehow relaxed the younger brother. 

“Ha ha,” Genji did not laugh.

Momo spoke, _[Do you remember anything, Genji?]_

“Huh…? Of course I…” he trailed off. If he tried to recall how he had gotten here the only thing he would grasp was mist. Something rotten sunk inside his gut.

His mother must have seen the look of confusion on his face and spoke before he could worry himself into a knot. _[What is the last thing you remember?]_

“I…” Genji hesitated. “I was with Zenyatta… you were there,” he looked to Hanzo, who nodded. “Later, someone came to the door. It was--”

Genji felt the air get sucked from his lungs.

Angela. Taking them deep into the woods. A knife. He was stabbed. Genji was stabbed.

What happened to Zenyatta?

Genji grunted when he felt strong hands grip his arms as he tried to get up. He flailed once and bit back an animalistic growl. “Zenyatta-- where is he?”

“Calm yourself, Genji,” Hanzo hissed. 

“Let go of me.”

“Zenyatta will be fine. He was not in as grave a state as you.”

“But he was hurt,” Genji bit out. “Where--”

_[Genji.]_

He froze at the sound of his mother’s voice. Immediately he cut himself off, taking a second before sighing and relaxing as the hands let go of him.

 _[Zenyatta has his own room in the castle,]_ Momo said. _[He is resting. It would do little good to smother him with attention.]_

“I won’t do that,” Genji half-lied. “I just-- I just want to see him. I need to make sure with my own eyes that he’s okay.”

Sojiro looked like he wanted to give his son whatever he wished for, but held himself back and looked to his wife for the final decision. She watched her son, looking over his sleep-heavy body and his messy bedhead. There was a fire in his eyes that she knew would push him to escape even if she said no.

Momo sighed.

 _[It will most likely be fine,]_ she said. _[By now you should have most of your energy back.]_

“Thank you, okaasan!!” Genji chirped, bowing his head deeply. Momo snorted.

_[Just do not use your powers for a while longer, give your magic a rest.]_

“I will!”

_[He is down the hall on the left.]_

Genji was scrambling out of bed and over his brother (who protested and pinched his side) and out of the room within seconds. As he strode down the hall he could feel what his mother warned him about. There was a dull ache in his bones and his veins where before his entire body felt like lead. 

He was expecting to find Zenyatta sleeping, tucked comfortably in several layers of blankets, or being doted upon by nurses. Instead Zenyatta was sitting on the balcony. His legs dangled in the air between posts in the railing, swaying lazily. 

“Zenyatta,” Genji sighed in relief. 

But as Zenyatta’s head turned around to greet him, Genji saw it. A long gash down the right side of his face that was dark brown as it scabbed. It bisected his eyebrow and barely missed the eye itself, continuing on from his high cheekbones, finally coming to a stop at the level of his lips. 

“Genji,” Zenyatta looked at him the way a flower looks at the sun. “You're awake.”

“‘Course I am,” Genji said. “But nevermind that, what happened? I heard you were hurt!”

The witch smiled. He looked… tired. The bags under his eyes could have been dark enough to be mistaken as black eyes (if Genji was feeling dramatic in his descriptions). 

“I wasn't stabbed with a knife, if that's what you're worried about.”

“UGH!” Genji groaned, swatting lightly at his boyfriend as he sat next to him. “This isn't the time for your terrible brand of humour!!”

“But isn't it?” Zenyatta hummed. “A terrible thing happened, yes, but we stand on the other side now. Both of us are alive and… whole. Some ‘terrible’ humor sounds like the perfect way to ease our minds.”

“Quit being reasonable! I'm trying to worry here. Now, let me get a look at you.”

Genji reached out, slow enough to be slapped away, slow enough to be an obvious out for Zenyatta, but the witch allowed it. Genji cupped his face gently, turning it from side to side. When he deemed everything to be in order, he focused on the main event. 

Gently, oh so gently, Genji traced a finger along the path that the cut took. Zenyatta only blinked at the touch and showed no sign of pain. 

“Does it hurt?” Genji asked. 

“Not so much anymore. It only aches.”

“I'm sorry,” Genji looked at his feet. “I failed in protecting you.”

“Genji,” Zenyatta said in a blunt tone. “You were stabbed in the back by an enchanted dagger made especially for demons. I am more worried about your protecting yourself.”

“So that's why I couldn't escape,” Genji mumbled. “If it wasn't enchanted, I would have kicked her ass. It'd barely scratch me.”

“I'm sure you would have.”

“Didn't do much good in the end, though,” Genji shrugged. “I feel just fine, maybe even better than ever. Shows what kind of demon hunter she is.”

He had meant it as a joke, but Zenyatta’s face had fallen to a level sad enough to make the demon want to throw himself at his feet and apologize. Genji didn't understand why, though. 

“Hey, hey, I’m being serious; I'm totally fine. Don't worry. Barely a scratch on me, see?” Genji turned around and pulled his shirt up high enough to show Zenyatta. Just as he guessed, there was no sign that any kind of wound had been there at all. “Must have been a fake or something.”

“Genji,” Zenyatta murmured.

Genji turned around again to look at his boyfriend and felt his heart sink. Zenyatta looked like he had stepped on a puppy’s paw. Though he was not frowning dramatically and did not have tears streaming down his face, there was an unmistakable sadness in his expression.

“Yeah?” he replied.

“How long have you been awake?”

“Not very long. I came to see you as soon as I could.”

Genji was expecting to see affection in Zenyatta’s eyes, but instead they only became more sad.

“Did you parents have enough time to tell you what happened?”

“Huh?” he asked. “I mean, they told me I was stabbed, but I already knew that.”

Zenyatta searched his boyfriend’s face, the seconds of silence making Genji shift uncomfortably. Finally he sighed and looked away, his eyes drawn down to the courtyard below. “That weapon was not a fake. You were very hurt.”

“Not that hurt,” Genji said. “I feel perfectly fine now.”

“You were going to die,” Zenyatta whispered like it physically hurt to say the words. “Momo had to put you in a coma in order to save you; but, even then, you had been injured beyond repair already. The knife had already cut out part of your soul and there was no way that you would be able to survive if you were awake.”

Genji opened and closed his mouth like a fish. “What-- what happened? How long have I been out?”

“You’ve only been asleep one day,” Zenyatta still did not meet his eyes. “If it had been left solely to your mother and the healers, you would have been asleep for more than a century.”

The question sat on the tip of Genji’s question. It buzzed under his skin and welled up from within his throat but he could not seem to say it. _What did you do, Zenyatta?_

“I am a very selfish man, Genji,” Zenyatta whispered. “I could not-- I did not want to live the rest of my life without you in it. I did not want you to wake up one day and be told that I had left you behind. I did not want to spend however many years I had left only coming to visit, to see your unresponsive body.

“You are awake now because I am selfish. I sold my soul to your mother and she used the power of our contract to heal you completely.”

Genji choked on air and coughed. “You-- you _what?!_ You sold your-- to my--”

“Yes,” Zenyatta did not look at him.

“But--?!” he almost shouted. “She owns you now! You can never pass to the other side! You can never be put to rest properly!”

“I know.”

“Why?! Why did you do something so--”

 _“Because I love you!”_ Zenyatta yelled over him. “I sold my soul because I love you!”

Genji stopped. He… had he ever heard Zenyatta yell before? Had he ever seen his face so red, his eyes so watery, his lips so tight? What was he doing? Why was he shouting at his boyfriend for saving him? Instantly, Genji felt himself deflate. 

“I won’t apologize,” Zenyatta said firmly. “I do not regret it and I never will.”

“You don’t need to,” Genji murmured. “I was… I am being an asshole. I shouldn’t have jumped on you like that. I’m sorry.”

The demon moved to embrace Zenyatta, giving him enough time to move away or argue, and wrapped his arms around his boyfriend. He squeezed lightly once and felt Zenyatta slack. How long the hug lasted did not matter. Genji only wanted to hold Zenyatta, to rub circles into his back and breath in his scent until the universe collapsed in upon itself.

“I’m sorry,” Genji said again. “I’m trying to be a better boyfriend and comfort you instead.”

“Oh Genji,” Zenyatta sighed. “Thank you.”

They kissed, never moving it beyond the soft slow thing it was. Eventually it was interrupted by a yawn and Genji rubbed a thumb along Zenyatta’s cheek. They exchanged quiet words while Genji helped him up and prepared him for bed. The witch was almost out cold by the time he hit the bed and Genji took in the sight of his boyfriend.

Zenyatta had a new future scar and bags under his eyes and a hole where his soul used to be.

Because he loved Genji.

 

It was a no brainer to storm down the hall back to his room. By the time he yanked open the door his family had vacated it and the only sign they had been there at all was the messy bedcovers and the scent of incense. Genji huffed and closed the door.

Instead he found his mother in her garden, where she always was. She still looked just as overworked. It off put Genji in a way. He had rarely ever seen her out of an outfit that was less than four layers and her hair done in extravagant fashions.

“Okaasan,” Genji greeted.

 _[I thought you would come,]_ Momo replied.

“So you know why I’m here.”

_[I do.]_

“And you know what I want.”

_[I can guess.]_

“So,” Genji said. “May I please have Zenyatta’s soul back?”

_[You already know the answer.]_

“Yeah, but I’m not taking it. Please give it to me.”

_[Contracts cannot be broken once they are made, and payment cannot be given back.]_

“We’re powerful demons, who cares? We can break a few rules if we want.”

 _[It’s not that simple,]_ Momo sighed and shook her head.

“Why did you even make the deal?” Genji asked. “Did you want it for yourself? Did you want to own the soul of the human your son fell in love with?!”

 _[Of course not,]_ the voice in Genji’s head was acidic and made him flinch. He could taste rust on his tongue. _[Despite what you may think now while you are consumed by adrenaline and frustration, I do like him. I had even hoped that we might have become friends if you were to stay with him.]_

“Then why did you do it?!”

 _[He asked,]_ Momo turned to look at her son for the first time since he arrived. _[And who was I to refuse telling him what he wished for more than anything?]_

“I…” Genji trailed off. “I wasn’t that hurt, was I? There must have been some other way…”

_[There may have been a faster way of waking you, but you would never regain the piece of your energy that was gouged out.]_

“It couldn’t have been that much…”

_[While you were without it, before Zenyatta and I made our deal, your dragon was dead.]_

Genji felt the air kicked out of him. “... Udon?”

_[Yes. Enough of you was destroyed that it had dematerialized, and it was likely that you would never be able to summon it again.]_

Genji reached out with his energy in a panic, trying to feel any kinds of holes or imperfections that may have stayed, but there was nothing. He could feel every part of it and, if he tried, he could also feel the faint heartbeat of his dragon.

 _[Zenyatta cares for you,]_ Momo said. _[Every part of you, even your dragon.]_

“He does…” Genji muttered under his breath and stared at the ground.

He jumped when he felt a hand touch his shoulder, as he had not heard any kind of movement. His mother stood right in front of him and had not make a single sound. Genji looked up at her and knew she was telling the truth. He could see it in the crinkle of her eyes, the concern written in her crows feet.

 _[There is a way you could get your lover’s soul back,]_ Momo said. _[A way that will not break any rules.]_

“Anything,” Genji said without hesitation.

 _[I will trade it for a prize of greater or equal value,]_ Genji’s mother cupped his face.

 

_[A prize like another soul.]_

 

 

 

 

 

When Genji would return to his boyfriend’s room later, he would see his dragon, curled in the dip beneath Zenyatta’s chin and on top of his neck.

And he would know that he made the right choice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> more cliffhangers??????????????? yup
> 
> at least this one is softened (just a lil ;3c)  
> i wonder what genji will do? and what his mother has planned >:0
> 
> ORIGINALLY i actually planned for hanzo to be the one zenyatta sold his soul to, but FUCK THAT SHIT gimme powerful fuckin women characters instead. she calls the shots here


	19. Forever

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zenyatta and Genji come home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> omfg i finished this like.... a day after i updated LOL  
> im just soooo excited for the end. not because i want it to be over, but because i love it. im happy for it.
> 
> also i wrote this almost all in one sitting in some kind of writing fugue state (praise the writing fugue state) so there might be some errors.

“Are you sure that you can make it?”

“Genji, I’m feeling much better today. I’m sure that I can walk down some stairs.”

“Well my offer to carry you still stands.”

“I don’t know, could you carry me without your powers?”

“Ouch! That hurts, babe.”

Zenyatta giggled, “Perhaps I could carry you instead? You _were_ the one who got stabbed.”

“Honestly, I’m cooler than that most of the time.”

“Hmm, I know.”

Genji pouted, but a smile tugged at his mouth when Zenyatta gave him a small kiss. He was tempted to pull Zenyatta back in and turn it into something slower and longer but he held himself off. There was nothing safe about fooling around on the stairs.

The foyer was just as they left it before. The cloak rack was messy and unorganized from when they were in a hurry to leave, as well as their shoe spot. But there was something missing.

“Oh shit,” Genji said. “Your hat, where is it? Did we leave it back at the palace?”

“Unfortunately not,” Zenyatta sighed. “I haven’t been able to find it since the other night, and Hanzo said that I was not wearing one when he came to retrieve me. I think it may have been blown away during my… episode.”

“Hey,” Genji turned his boyfriend around physically and held his face, making his cheeks squish slightly. “What’s wrong? Do you want me to get it back with my magic?”

“No, no, you still need to rest your powers-- and it isn’t the hat,” Zenyatta admitted. “I feel… ashamed of what I did. How I lost control and almost killed someone. Even if she did attack us, I wouldn’t want to take someone’s life unless there was no other choice.”

“But you didn’t,” said Genji. “You saved me, twice.”

“I wouldn’t let anyone take you away.”

“Not just that,” Genji murmured, running his thumb down the long scabbed over gash on Zenyatta’s face.

“I don’t regret it,” Zenyatta clarifies. “Any of it, even my outburst. Though it may not have been the best solution, you are here with me now, and that is all I want.”

“Good. I’m proud of you,” Genji smiled. “And also kind of turned on. That is gonna turn into a really _hot_ scar, and every time I’m gonna think about how you got it protecting me and turning into some dangerous ball of flam--”

“That’s enough, Genji,” Zenyatta laughed and pushed his face away. Genji let him, but stayed attached with his arms and bent backwards in a silly way. It made the witch laugh again (the laugh with the cute snort) and redouble his efforts. He planted his other hand on Genji’s face, covering his mouth and part of his nose. A laugh came from behind his fingers.

“What was that? I can’t quite hear you,” Zenyatta giggled.

“Mrph,” said Genji, muffled.

And then an evil look passed his dark eyes.

Zenyatta squawked and yanked both hands back. He tried to jump away but Genji held fast. 

“You licked me!” Zenyatta squealed.

Genji only laughed maniacally and focused on his grip. No matter how much Zenyatta squirmed he could not get free and no matter how far he leaned back Genji was leaning forwards the same amount.

“Genji--” Zenyatta said. “Genji, don’t you dare.”

The demon stuck out his tongue and made a ‘mleehh’ sound. Zenyatta shouted at him and tried to push away but even with Genji not using his powers, he still had his super strength.

“Think this through, Genji!”

“Mm, I’d rather not.”

“If you lick me again, you’re sleeping on the couch.”

“I don’t need to sleep.”

“I’ll be very upset!”

“You’ll forgive me.”

“I’ll take away your kissing privileges!!”

“You like those just as much as I do, you’ll give them back eventually.”

“Genji--” Zenyatta yelled as Genji got closer and closer, his tongue stuck out. “Genji-- don’t--!!”

A knock at the door.

Genji and Zenyatta stopped where they stood.

“Were you expecting someone…?”

“No. I didn’t--”

More knocking, loud and urgent.

A shudder slithered up Genji’s spine. The similarity of this situation to the one only nights ago gave him goosebumps. His hand gripped Zenyatta’s arm tightly and he tried to tug him somewhere else, to another room that was far from the foyer. Zenyatta stood fast and watched the door with intense eyes.

And then there came a noise that was very much not like an intruder.

“Hello?” said a voice from behind the thick wood. “Zenyatta? Are you there?”

Zenyatta perked up. He knew that voice.

“Zenyatta!” came another, booming through the door as if it was not there at all. “Please open the door, my friend!”

“Is that…?” Genji muttered, but already Zenyatta had broke free of his hold and rushed to the door. He fumbled with the latch and yanked it open.

There stood a large group of humans.

Everyone’s voices became jumbled together as they all spoke at the same time, “Zenyatta!” “You’re here!” “What happened?” “We were so worried!” “You scared us!” “Are you alright?”

Zenyatta’s mouth opened and closed like a fish out of water as he struggled not only for words, but to comprehend what was happening. “What-- what are you all doing here?”

As the voices began to try and speak all at once again, they were interrupted by a small woman parting the crowd to stand at the front. Immediately Ana walked right up to Zenyatta and pinched his ear painfully.

“You had me worried sick, you silly witch!” she lectured as Zenyatta hissed in pain. “Imagine, hearing that you’ve been attacked in the forest and then finding some giant patch of ashes. To make it worse, when we tried to come here, the path had been covered in thick brambles! It took us until now to hack through it. You know exactly how old I am; are you trying to put me in an early grave, young man?”

Zenyatta sighed in relief when his earlobe was released. As he looked into the crowd he could see what she was talking about. Reinhardt carried an axe that should not have been able to be picked up by any human, while all of the others had gardening tools of some sort. They were covered in thorns and leaves and small red scratches as if they had physically tried to wrestle the brambles themselves. A wave of guilt washed over him.

“I-- I did not know that you were looking for me,” he admitted. “One of my enchantments must have been triggered by my stress and protected the tower. If I knew, I would have--”

“That doesn’t matter,” Ana waved it off. “Tell me, are you alright? Your face…”

“It looks worse than it truly is. I’m unharmed everywhere but my face, I promise.”

Ana stared him down with a look that could have forced even the most stubborn of toddlers to confess their crimes, but Zenyatta did not budge. After a moment she sighed and her tense posture melted.

“Thank goodness,” she said. “But don’t try to pull anything like that ever again.”

“I won’t,” Zenyatta promised. He looked out at the ragtag gaggle of humans on his doorstep. “As an apology, please, everyone come inside and rest. You’ve more than earned a break after what you must have cut through.”

There were some objections, both polite and honest, but most people came in and thanked him. Zenyatta pointed to the washroom and the kitchen and promised to make something for everyone to regain some energy from before they went back to the village.

As people filed into Zenyatta’s house one stopped in front of him. 

“Oh, I’m so glad you’re alright,” said Lena.

Zenyatta could feel Genji’s hostile energy burning behind him like a guard dog waiting for its signal. “Yes, I as well.”

Lena continued. “I was so worried-- Angela had run into town and warned anyone with ears of what happened, but in the morning we still needed to leave! Jack insisted that we go no matter what was going on because ‘we have a job to do’,” she took on an exaggerated silly, deep voice. “But I just couldn’t! It wasn’t right! Isn’t that what our jobs are? To protect witches?

“But he said as long as it wasn’t Talon, it wasn’t our business. I just-- I got so mad--” Lena clenched her fists. “I wasn’t going to come, or I might have, I dunno. I couldn’t decide what to do, but then Angela was the one to encourage me to stay. She said she would cover for me while I stayed and they left in the morning.”

“Thank you for coming, Lena,” Zenyatta said, trying to hide his surprise. Angela..? Angela had told them? “But what about your work? What will you do?”

Lena rubbed the back of her neck and looked at the ceiling. “Well, it’s still too dangerous to travel the roads alone, and even if I did there’s no way I could catch up to my friends.”

“So you’re..?”

“I’m staying!” she chirped. “Well, at least until they come back this way, but that won’t be until the end of the season at least.”

Zenyatta smiled and placed a hand on her arm. “I’m happy that you got your wish.”

Lena returned the blinding smile. “Me too.”

 

Ana made herself at home at the head seat of the table and hung her cloak on the back of it. Reinhardt stomped off to the privy to clean up before going into the kitchen and insisting on helping with food preparation. McCree stayed in the foyer and spoke with Zenyatta a tad longer, asking about what sort of magic could make a wall of thorns too tall to climb and too long to walk around. He also leaned close and insisted that Zenyatta could tell him if he was hurt, but Zenyatta shook his head and told him he was fine. Lucio was chatting with Lena and jotting down notes in his music journal. Winston took up a decent section of the kitchen and tried to shrink himself down a tad to make moving around easier until Mei-Ling came along and encouraged him to join in.

As the witch sorted the shoes at the door and leaned the gardening tools against the step outside, Genji danced around the dining room and brought their friends water to drink and food to eat. Zenyatta glanced back at the scene, hit by the similarity to looking in on a play at the theatre with how lively it was, and smiled.

There was something nice about having friends that cared for you enough to battle a magic wall of thorns.

While mixing the large batch of punch, Zenyatta had to fight off the feisty sister of McCree’s as she tried to convince him to slip in some spirits and, when he had said no, tried to sneak it in without his knowledge. Though it had started as a small tea time break, the visit had quickly become an exciting party and the kitchen was almost too packed for anything to get done.

The sun was getting close to the mountains when the celebrations finally calmed down. There was a mess in the kitchen, but every person in the house had a smile on their face and their stomachs full of sweet confections.

 

Seeing the house empty was a bucket of cold water to the face. Earlier neither had been able to hear their own thoughts and now one could hear a needle being dropped.

“Though it may have come to pass because of less than desirable circumstances,” Zenyatta said. “I had fun.”

“Me too,” Genji said. “Kinda eerily quiet now.”

Zenyatta shook his head. “I’m not talking about today. Well... perhaps not just today.”

“Then what are you thinking of?”

“Everything,” he said simply. “I may be feeling a bit nostalgic, but every moment that I’ve spent with you has been fun. From meeting you to being kidnapped, I don’t think I’ve ever had so much adventure in my life.”

“You’re exaggerating.”

“I don’t think so. For so long I lived here with Mondatta, and later I lived here alone. It seems so… small, now. How I lived day to day. It was simple and easy and I could not imagine changing anything about my routine-- but now I cannot imagine ever going back.

“I baked, I brewed, and I cleaned. The most exciting thing I did was go into town and sell the things I made. If I was lucky, I would catch a foreign caravan coming through and be able to buy some things. I could just have easily locked my doors and turned into a hermit. I did not need money, I could have grown food in my gardens. I did not need to see any humans at all.

“But now I have someone to bake for-- someone to clean with. I have a person to wake with each morning and fall asleep next to each night. A source of excitement, an extra hand around the house, a taste-tester for my food. Most of all I have a friend-- a best friend. Someone I could call a partner in crime. A lover.

“I have you, Genji.”

Genji’s eyes were blown wide. He blinked once-- twice. The longer he stood in awe without a single word to say, the larger the smile on Zenyatta’s face grew.

“Have I said too much?” Zenyatta asked.

“N-No! I-- I just,” Genji scrambled for the right words, rubbing the back of his neck as he thought. “I don’t think I’ve ever had someone say something so… intimate to me before. It just threw me for a loop, that’s all. Plus I got a bunch of butterflies in my stomach and all I wanna do is kiss you.”

“Don’t let me stop you,” Zenyatta beamed.

“Okay, but, afterwards,” Genji said. “I wanna say something to. I kinda… I feel the same way. I don’t think I could ever go back to how I used to be and how I used to live. The world I lived in before… it looks so small now. I spent my days in the palace or out at an expensive party I wasn’t invited to. I would bicker with my brother and then avoid my parents so that no one would lecture me on how to act or what to do. I’m barely as old as my parents were when they got married, and already I was acting as if I had lived an eternity. I was so bored with everything.

“I tried training and fighting more. I let the clan throw me at problems that needed to be disposed of-- but even then I felt like every fight was too easy and every job was too shady. I had no plans for the future-- no future at all.

“Now I feel like I can see into the future, I know exactly what I want and I know how I’m gonna get it. I look forward to every new day that I spend with you and I dream of a future where we are together. It’s so bright-- so solid, I feel like I could reach out and grab it. 

“You’ve taught me so much just by being you. I pity every second my past self spent ignorant of your existence, every wasted minute where I was not at your side. I don’t think I’ve ever been so happy in the present and so excited for the future.

“I am very glad that you summoned me, Zenyatta, even if it was by accident.”

The witch searched his boyfriend’s face for the sign that he was finished, and immediately closed the space between them to press their lips together. A small sound came from Genji and Zenyatta swallowed it eagerly. Soon enough they melted into each other, every body part that was touching fit as if it was the perfect puzzle piece. 

They broke apart finally after another eternity and pressed their foreheads together. Their hands held each other’s and one squeezed (it was hard to tell whose was who’s with how perfectly they melded) which was replied with a squeeze from the other.

“You look deep in thought,” Zenyatta murmured. “What is on your mind?”

“Zenyatta,” Genji said. “If I’m being really honest, I don’t want to wash the dishes right now.”

Zenyatta snorted and kissed his boyfriend on the cheek. “It will be dark soon, do you have any ideas for other things to do instead?”

“Yeah,” Genji’s hands slid into their place on Zenyatta’s hips. “Let’s go for a walk. Y’know, enjoy the sun before it’s totally gone.”

“How romantic.”

“That’s me. I’ll romance the hell out of you, Zen. Just you watch. You’ll be romanced so hard.”

“I already am.”

 

= = =

 

They had walked in the opposite direction from the spot Zenyatta had charred to a crisp. It led them closer to the Deep Woods, but not too close to be in any danger. By the time they finally stopped walking the sky had exploded into pinks and purples, the first of the stars already visible in the sky.

Genji looked to his left. Zenyatta was there at his side. They held hands, their fingers entwined like Celtic knots. Zenyatta was looking somewhere to the side-- Genji could not bring himself to care where exactly-- and the last of the sun was casting warm hues onto his already warm skin. The colours in the sky and the last of the light sparkled in his bright blue eyes. Genji was reminded of jewels, of magic, of lights that could seduce prey into the depths of the sea.

Then those eyes were focused on him, smiling at him.

Looking at him the same way he was looking at them.

It was the perfect time.

“Zenyatta,” Genji said.

“Yes, Genji?” Zenyatta replied.

“Marry me.”

Just like last time there was a hiccup, a popping in the air as the atmosphere changed fast enough to affect the air pressure. Zenyatta looked at him with wide eyes-- then frowned slightly.

“Genji,” Zenyatta sighed. “I may have said earlier that a sense of humor is needed in hard times, but I find this joke a little bit distasteful.”

“I’m not joking,” Genji said with the most serious tone he could manage. “I mean it. Marry me.”

Another flash of hesitation on Zenyatta’s face. “If… if this is about what happened… if you’re feeling insecure about my lifespan--”

“It isn’t that. I’m being serious.”

Genji let go of Zenyatta’s hand and stood in front of him. As he dropped to one knee there was a gasp, the hiss of breath inhaled too fast, of hands clapping over a mouth.

“Tekhartha Zenyatta,” he murmured. “Marry me. Please.”

Genji reached into his haori and pulled out two amulets. As they shifted in his hand they made the soft chimes of bells, as if they were empty, but the large stone on each said otherwise. In one sat a piece of larimar bright enough to outshine the sky and blue enough make the oceans weep. In the second a heavy-looking piece of jade that was polished to an almost glass-clear finish, though the cloudy green inside was still too thick to see through. It reminded Zenyatta of when he opened his eyes while swimming in a pond. If he looked at it long enough, would something swim out of it and look back?

“Genji, what are these…?” Zenyatta breathed in awe.

“It’s us,” Genji explained. “Our souls. I got yours back, I told you I would.”

“How did you--?”

“I traded it-- or, er, I struck a deal with my mom.”

“Oh, Genji,” Zenyatta whispered. “You didn’t have to--”

“I wanted to. It wasn’t fair, even my mom agreed, but she couldn’t just give it back. We had to write something out. As compensation I sold myself--”

“Genji--!”

“Listen, listen, it’s okay. I sold myself in service to my mom, but she… she told me that my first and only order was to be happy. To be with you, for however long we both live.”

“Both…? But you will live much longer than I.”

“That’s where these come in. My mom-- she took both of our souls and made them into physical objects. Some of the older demons used to do it, to keep themselves safe, but always someone would find and destroy them. Demons are really good at that whole treason and betrayal thing.

“Uhh-- anyways-- she made these for us. We can do whatever we want with them, including doing nothing at all, but whatever we do will change… well, everything. I could take mine and live just as I always have, and you can take yours and put it back inside your vessel where it belongs, but--”

Genji choked on his own words, not quite emotional to cry but still there was an extra wetness to his eyes, a tiny nervousness in his voice. “I don’t want that. So whatever you do choose to do with yours, I will do the same. I want to live with you forever, Zenyatta, however long that forever is. If you want to take it back and stay human, then I will take mine in myself and be human with you. No matter what I wish to travel the path of life with you by your side.”

On the other hand, Zenyatta was more emotional than his boyfriend. His hands were covering his mouth, each breath audible, and the tears in his eyes were almost big enough to spill-- barely managing to retain their surface tension.

“Oh, Genji,” he whispered. Zenyatta put his hands on top of Genji’s, covering their precious gifts, as he joined him to kneel on the ground. He whispered his name again and moved a hand to cup his face. He said it again and tucked stray hair behind his ear. Each whisper of his name contained more emotions than one thought could be possible. A poet could recite and sing for a hundred years and still it would pale in comparison to the amount of love packed in each recite of Genji’s name.

“Genji,” Zenyatta lowered his hands once more and cupped his boyfriend’s. “You have given me such a gift, one I could never repay.”

“You already have,” murmured Genji. “Let me follow you, Zenyatta, into whichever life you wish to live in. I will be by your side for the rest of my days.”

Zenyatta looked in Genji’s eyes and saw the devotion-- the pure truth of every word he spoke-- and he believed him. His eyes were drawn to the amulets in their entwined hands. Almost without a second though, he knew which one of two lives he wanted to be in.

To be in with Genji.

“I love you,” he said. 

“I love you, too,” Genji mirrored.

Zenyatta took the two precious stones in his hands and made his choice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :''') my boys..... im lov them...
> 
> in a way, this is the end, but really its only the beginning. next week will be a double feature!! both chap 20+21 are coming out at the same time. youll see why later. but i hope you guys have enjoyed this crazy ride and that you stick around after the credits for the extra clip at the end!!


	20. And Always

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Two humans ten years later.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SURPRISE!!!!!!!!!!! TWO ENDINGS!!!!
> 
> honestly i was gonna go with just one in the beginning, but halfway through i just fell in love with the idea of one or the other.

“Udon!” Genji shouted. “Get out of the sugar bowl! How many times do I gotta tell you this?”

The green dragon poked its head out, crystal sugar coating its beard and whiskers. It was adorable but still did not get it off the hook for being a sneaky brat.

“I believe it gets its sweet tooth from you, Genji,” Zenyatta smiled.

“Maybe so, but I never taught it to cause trouble!”

“I seem to recall hearing of your troublesome exploits from your family…”

“Whatever Hanzo said was a lie. Don’t you trust me by now, Zenyatta? Isn’t my word better than his?”

“It’s not the validity of anyone’s words that sway me, but the fact that I have been there in person to a great deal of your adventures.”

“That’s because you were helping me!”

“I never said I wasn’t.”

Genji snorted and shoved his partner lightly, averting his eyes to avoid looking directing into Zenyatta’s blinding smile.

Even after so long, Zenyatta could easily make his heart skip with only a smile.

“Are you done packing the basket?” Zenyatta asked.

“Yeah, can you get the gifts for me?”

“Of course.”

Genji and Zenyatta stepped out of their house with arms full of packages. Genji pointed at his dragon and made the ‘stay’ signal, to which it stuck its tongue out at before flying somewhere else inside the house to pout. Quickly Zenyatta put his armful down in order to lock the door behind them before heading off. As they walked further and further, Genji found himself looking back.

He had been doing that more lately. Every other journey out of their house Genji glanced over his shoulder and marveled at it. Compared to the old tower their new home was barely a shack.

Their house looked more like a cabin than anything else. The roof had eventually been covered in a thick blanket of moss (which neither man wanted to get rid of due to the softness) while a stubborn ivy plant climbed up the chimney. Next to the front door stood what Genji called ‘the evil weed’, while truly it was a hearty rose bush. Due to a small parlour trick it was able to grow blossoms of any colour. Though Zenyatta continued to deny that the spell had any lingering side effects, Genji was absolutely sure that it had gained sentience and purposefully made his life a living hell during trimming season.

The path they followed winded down from their house to merge with a main road the same way a drop of water would be swallowed by larger ones as they dripped down a windshield. Since moving their place of residence, Genji and Zenyatta had been working on managing the roads and making sure they were safe for travel. Had they not, most likely they would be tripping on pebbles or slipping in mud.

Perhaps it was because they traveled the path so much that it felt like only a minute before they were at their destination. The ruins looked just as old and untouched as they did every single time Genji saw them, and by now he was beginning to wonder if the ancient enchantments still stood where the buildings did not.

“Genji! Zenyatta!” came a young voice.

A girl no older than eleven jumped and waved her arms wildly as if they could not see her from only metres away. Zenyatta waved back while Genji meekly wiggled his hand as his arms were occupied. 

“You’re grown taller again, Efi,” Zenyatta mused.

“Really?” she asked. “I can’t tell. There aren’t any mirrors out here in the woods. ”

“We brought more supplies for you,” Genji piped in.

“This is all for me..? Thanks so much! I don’t know what I’d do without you guys. It’s so hard to get to town from here and back before dark without any extra hands-- plus, I’m getting closer to a breakthrough! I can’t abandon the dig site now.”

Genji placed a woven basket and a blanket to the side before laying out his armful of paper-wrapped packages alongside Zenyatta's. “There are extra clothes and blankets in here, water purifying dust in here, dried fruit and meat in here, an extra cold potion just in case--”

“Oh my gosh, there’s so much!” Efi said. “I really couldn’t take all of this from you!”

“We can go into town whenever we want, it’s no burden on us,” said Zenyatta.

“Thank you again, thank you so much,” she gushed and clasped their hands. “I hope I can get all of this back to the site in one trip…”

A heavy thudding came from within the trees followed by the sound of branches and foliage cracking as something large came towards them. Into the sunlight stepped a golem that was just as large (if not larger) than Bastion. Menacing bull horns stuck out from its head and with its four thick legs it looked like a centaur.

“The perimeter is secure,” it said in a female voice.

“Thank you, Orisa!” Efi chirped. “But we’ll probably be heading back soon. I don’t want the sun to get too low before I trace the drawings I found this morning.”

“I will help you carry the supplies,” Orisa stomped towards Zenyatta and Genji and stopped right in front of them, her two large gem eyes seeming to bore into their souls. Then she lifted an arm and moved her wrist back and forth in a robotic mimicry of a wave. “Hello.”

“Greetings.” “Yo.”

As the large golem began to pile things in her arms, Efi turned back to her visitors. “By the way, I saw that short, old guy in the woods again.”

“Oh?” said Zenyatta. “What happened?”

“This time he was lost, so I had to help him back to the main path. He was really nice until he saw Orisa, and then he got all closed off and quiet,” she hummed. “Which is weird, because I’m pretty sure he’s been coming out here to visit Bastion. So it can’t be a distaste for golems, can it?”

“How strange.”

“Orisa said that we should have told him not to come back and get lost again, but I’m pretty sure that Bastion doesn’t get any other visitors, even if this one was short and old and cranky.”

“What a mystery,” Zenyatta put a finger on his chin. “Perhaps more will come of it.”

“Hopefully nothing bad.”

“Efi,” Orisa called. “The luggage has been added to our kit.”

“Thank you!” the girl replied before turning back to her friends. “See you later, and thank you again!”

“Safe travels, Efi,” Zenyatta said, bowing his head slightly.

Both parties parted and headed their separate ways, Genji and Zenyatta going off in the general direction back to their cottage. Though when they passed the turn off they continued walking forwards. They walked and walked until they almost made it into town, but before they did they stepped off of the road altogether and into the brush.

In the trees was a small clearing. There was an obvious difference in the quality of plant life once one stepped inside. The grass was bright green and fresh; each step pressed down a footprint that would almost instantly disappear as the grass went back to its original shape, leaving no trace behind. Tiny white flowers with pitch black stems formed a ring around the area and lichen climbed up the sides of the trees, black charred wood barely peeking out from underneath.

Genji placed the woven basket on the ground and lay out the large blanket that they brought. On it they set their picnic: a small box of fruit tarts, a paper bag with long kebabs stuffed with meat and veggies, a waterskin that held sweet juice and two cups.

“I’m glad that we thought of this,” Genji mused.

“As am I,” Zenyatta replied. “It is very beautiful today.”

Genji hummed and took a bite of his kebab, his blunt teeth needing to tear it off. “You know, I’ve been thinking…”

“Have you now?” Zenyatta smiled.

“Don’t get fresh with me,” Genji pointed his food at him. “Lemme talk.”

“The stage is all yours, Genji.”

Genji stared at his partner with an over exaggerated glare and took an aggressive bite of his food, making Zenyatta giggle. “Anyways, as I was saying, I’ve been thinking-- and I had this idea I wanted to throw at you. You always say that you want to visit Mondatta again, so when we do that next, why don’t we keep going?”

“I’m afraid I don’t have many other family members to visit.”

“Not like that. I mean, why don’t we keep travelling? Take a boat from the port and go somewhere far away. It’ll be exciting! And we don’t even need to stop there. If we like it we can just keep going, travel from city to city until there isn’t an inch left of the globe that we haven’t seen.”

“And what about our home?”

“It’ll always be here. I mean, I do wanna come back, too. It’s too nice here not to.”

“What brought this on? Are you bored here?”

“No! No, I just… a few nights ago I kind of realized how long it’s been, and I thought about how much longer we might have, and I want to go somewhere. Anywhere, honestly. As long as I'm with my best friend.”

Zenyatta smiled. “And who would that be?”

Genji played along. “Udon, of course.”

“You’re your own best friend? How egotistical and self confident of you.”

“But I also want you to come with me.”

Zenyatta’s smile grew until it rivaled the sun. “I wouldn’t want anything else, Genji.”

Genji blushed and smiled back, still amazed by how his body seemed to malfunction when he looked directly at Zenyatta. His heart beating faster, his throat tightening, his gut fluttering. Who knew that mortal bodies were so complicated?

“I’m glad,” Genji murmured. 

Zenyatta put down the food he was holding and crawled forwards on his hands and knees until he leaned over Genji. Gently he plucked the kebab from his hands and put that to the side as well before taking hold of Genji’s face and kissing him. Someone sighed, it could have been either of them with how just the skin contact sent waves of comfort and love through both of them.

Slowly, gently, Zenyatta pushed forwards as he held the kiss until they both lay on the blanket. Zenyatta’s elbows boxed Genji’s head in and trapped him right where they both wanted to be. Of course neither one of them could keep their hands to themselves for very long. Genji’s hands found Zenyatta’s hips and Zenyatta’s fingers weaved into Genji’s green hair (dyed by Zenyatta as a magical prank long ago, but Genji had never reacted with anything but excitement towards the change). Zenyatta’s thumb rubbed his partner’s temple, pressed in and rubbed circles into the skin where horns used to protrude. He broke free of the kiss and trailed his lips higher, over the empty canvas that was Genji’s face, until he pressed one final kiss to his head.

Zenyatta leaned down again and bumped their heads together. The air felt warmer, the sun brighter, the breeze fresher. It was as if the world had died and been reborn around them while neither could have ripped their attention away from the other.

Zenyatta’s smile was starting to hurt with how wide it was. 

“Happy ten year anniversary, my husband.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ok so, idk if it was SUPER clear, but the choice of whether to be human or demon is super permanent. to become a demon, both genji and zenyatta would break the amulets and set free their souls, which would mean that zenyatta's is no longer attached to his vessel. if they wanted to become a human, they needed to use magic to take the amulet into themselves and fuse their bodies and souls together. what makes demons demons are the fact that their souls are not connected and they can move and manipulate them freely, while humans are fused with theirs and (most of the time) cannot manipulate them.
> 
> LORE!!!!! YAY!!!!


	21. And Ever

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Two demons an indeterminable amount of time later.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> here's the demon ending!!!! i love both endings so much tbh.  
> theyre both canon. or smth. alternate universes. WHATEVER!!! THEYRE HAPPY IN EVERY UNIVERSE

“Stop prowling, Genji.”

Genji growled. “I’ll prowl if I want to.”

Hanzo sighed. “You’re scaring the staff.”

Admittedly, that made him feel bad, but Genji was nothing if not stubborn. He crossed his arms and met his brother’s disapproving glare with one of his own. “Why are Udon, Shio, and Shoyu allowed in there but not me?”

“Because they are our dragons and they don’t count.”

“But technically it’s me! Or a part of me!”

“But it isn’t.”

Genji groaned and threw his hands up in the air. “It’s been hours! Ours never took this long.”

“That’s because Zenyatta is a special case.”

“Something could have gone wrong and we’d never know!”

“I’m sure that our dragons would warn us if that were the case, which it definitely isn’t.”

“Stop blowing my arguments away, Hanzo!”

“I would be out of a job if I did that.”

Genji took a swing at his brother, who easily dodged it with a flex of his powers. Immediately Genji retaliated and started a tussle, their forms invisible to the mortal eye from how fast they were going. However, the brawl was over just as quick as it started; leaving behind a calm Hanzo sitting on his brother’s back, who was face-first on the ground.

“I hate you,” Genji muttered into the tatami floor.

“I know,” said Hanzo.

“I’m so bored.”

“Ah. There it is. The truth”

“Shut up!” Genji whined. “I just wanna see my husband! Why are you so cruel?!”

“I’m cruel because I love you, Genji,” Hanzo said. “Also it’s in my job description.”

“I’m pretty sure that being the Lord of the Shimada Clan doesn’t require you to harass your brother.”

“No, but it is a requirement of my job as your older brother.”

“What’s that supposed to mean--?!”

“Excuse me, young masters,” a voice interrupted.

Both Shimadas whipped their heads around to look at where it came from. Poking its head out from behind the paper door was a medium-sized monkey demon. Instead of being a warm brown like a monkey from the human world, this one was a deep turquoise colour with leopard-like blue patterns. It blinked its red eyes and twitched its nose.

“The ritual is complete,” it said.

“Finally…” Genji groaned.

“But-- er, I must warn you,” it hesitated. “It may not be like what you expect.”

“How so--” Hanzo tried to get more details but was cut off by Genji standing up and throwing him off his back.

“What?! What happened?! Is he hurt?!”

Hanzo tried to calm his brother but already it was too late and he watched Genji shove past the monkey demon and barrel inside. Hanzo pinched the bridge of his nose.

“Zenyatta!” Genji called, only to almost trip over his husband.

“I am right here, Genji,” he said. “There is no need to shout, but perhaps you should watch where you step.”

“Are you okay?” Genji asked and fell to his knees, grabbing Zenyatta by the arms and inspecting him. Zenyatta chuckled and let his husband manhandle him so that he could find comfort with the physical proof of his wellbeing.

“I’m fine.”

“But the Fūri said that something happened!”

“I don’t think so,” Zenyatta hummed. “It told me that the ritual went perfectly.”

“What…? Then why--”

“Though, perhaps not as perfectly as a dragon-binding ceremony should go.”

Zenyatta let the top of his soft kimono fall from his shoulders and unwrapped the bandages around his torso. On the front of his chest, almost taking up the entire canvas, was a bright yellow tattoo. Bright yellow enough to almost be gold. The art style matched every other Shimada dragon that was given to them and would look perfectly at home among them--

If it had been a dragon at all.

Two large koi chased each other in a circle. Water flowed past them and splashed at the edges of the tattoo while japanese maple leaves floated on the surface. One koi was completely filled in with gold while the other was almost invisible with how thin the lines were, each using the opposite colours to paint in the details.

Genji must have gaped at it for too long, because he could feel Zenyatta begin to fidget under his gaze. “Is it-- is it alright? I do not know if I performed a step wrong or why it isn’t a dragon like yours--”

“It’s beautiful,” Genji said. “I love it.”

“Are you sure? Was it not supposed to be a--”

“Screw dragons,” Genji waved off (while offended growls came from the corner in which Udon, Shio, and Shoyu sat). “This is so much better. It’s so-- so _you._ I think the only other tattoo that’s as detailed as yours is my mom’s.”

Hanzo and the Fūri walked in at that moment, the monkey demon nervously fiddling its fingers. Hanzo looked down at the tattoo and his eyes widened. “So it’s true. How... strange.”

“Isn’t it pretty, oniisan?!” Genji gushed. “I have the most beautiful husband in the realm.”

Genji eagerly nuzzled into Zenyatta’s neck, who giggled and tried to push him away when it tickled him. Soft murmurs of ‘I’m so lucky’ and ‘You’re exaggerating, Genji’ were exchanged between them.

Hanzo cleared his throat.

Zenyatta, getting the ‘subtle’ hint, pried Genji away as he muttered about his cockblocking brother. “Am I going to be getting into trouble for this?”

“I doubt it,” Hanzo said. “We cannot control what image the ritual will give us, only that it has given dragons to every Shimada since the very beginning. We followed the process that any demon who marries into the family must perform word for word. It should have given you a dragon.”

Hanzo placed a finger on his chin and sighed. “Though, you are not quite a normal demon.”

A quiet laugh came from Zenyatta and he was about to discuss it further when Genji dove in again and wrapped his arms around him, pouting like some child forced to share its toy.

“Let’s get out of here. The ritual is done, blah blah blah, we don’t need to be here any longer.”

“But we need to figure out why--”

“Think later, go now,” Genji interrupted and scooped up his husband, making him yelp in surprise. Before his older brother or the monkey shaman could protest he sprinted from the room and down the hall.

“Genji!” Zenyatta squawked. “What is the meaning of this? Why are you so energetic all of a sudden?”

When they were a decent distance away from anyone that could get in the way, Genji ducked himself and his passenger into the shadowed area behind a pillar. He let go on Zenyatta’s legs and pinned him against the wall, pressing his nose into the collar of Zenyatta’s neck.

“Genji--!” Zenyatta gasped and grabbed the back of Genji’s outfit. “We’re in the middle of-- I’m still only in my sleepwear!”

“Doesn’t matter,” Genji muttered. “Want you.”

“I’d rather we do this somewhere comfortable.”

“You’re so beautiful-- so hot. _Void,_ Zenyatta, you drive me crazy. The moment I saw your tattoo I had to hold myself back from devouring you then and there. Do you know how dangerous you look?”

“W-Well, I suppose I do now…”

“I still owe you from yesterday when you almost fried those demons to a crisp in front of the entire council. Hana made fun of me for the rest of the meeting because of how red my face was. Fuck-- I can still smell the smoke on you. Your powers have been getting stronger everyday ever since you fully transformed and your raw strength does things to me. We didn’t have any time yesterday-- but now I’m gonna payback what I owe you.”

Zenyatta shuddered as Genji licked a stripe up his neck, Zenyatta involuntarily gripping his black hair and making him growl. “While I don’t exactly oppose your ideas… if we keep going on this path, we will be late.”

“Blame the ritual, not my fault that it took so long.”

“No matter whose fault it is, we still need to get to Fareeha’s retirement party on time.”

“Let’s skip it.”

“You don’t mean that.”

Genji stopped what he was doing and sighed in defeat, plopping his head on Zenyatta’s shoulder. “You’re right, I don’t.”

“It will only be a few hours.”

“Yeah, but then we need to visit everyone else, and that’ll take forever.”

“We don’t need to this time.”

“They’re my friends, too. I want to.”

Zenyatta chuckled and ran his fingers through his husband’s dark hair. “You know, they say that absence makes the heart grow fonder.”

“It’s not just my heart that’s getting fonder,” Genji mumbled, smiling as Zenyatta laughed out loud.

“It will only take a day at most. We can come back and do what we like to each other later. After all, we do have a long time to waste.”

Genji looked up through his eyelashes at his husband. After so long, still the marks on Zenyatta’s forehead and under his eyes and lips still sent a thrill through him. Each time he thought about that night he had brought Zenyatta to dinner and the disguise they made. It was not too far off from what the real thing turned out to be, but it could still never compare. Even his horns had come in with the same spiral shape that the fake ones had, but the real ones were longer and sturdier.

“A long time, huh?” Genji said with a smile.

“A rough estimate,” Zenyatta returned it with a grin just as blinding.

“How does forever sound to you?”

“It sounds perfect.”

“Forever,” Genji breathed and let his lips gravitate towards Zenyatta’s. “And ever.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So for Zenyatta’s tattoo, in case it wasn't obvious, it is a yellow monochrome scene of two koi, one Ying and one yang. I chose the things for several reasons. Ying Yang: obv because he's zenyatta. Koi: because in Japanese culture a majority of the time, koi tattoos are a symbol of overcoming adversity. I chose maple leaves instead of flowers in the water because of the leaf's two meanings:
> 
> 1\. Momiji (Maple Leaf) One of the most popular backgrounds is the Japanese maple, a symbol of time passing, a symbol of the wind. the design often conveys the leaves as floating, carried on the wind or in the water. In Japan, it's also the symbol of lovers.
> 
> 2\. Leaves as Life, Death, and Circle of Life Symbols. It is said that a single leaf is an ancient heraldic symbol that represents happiness. However, it can represent so much more than happiness. In fact, the leaf can represent a variety of aspects of one's life as it is a symbol of life. It can also represent death.
> 
> aaaand that's it!! 
> 
> i can't believe its over. It's been, what, 5 months? crazy. ive never written anything this long or gotten this much attention and love ever before. you all have made writing such an amazing and happy experience. seriously, its changed me. ive gotten actual confidence in my writing, ive written something longer than ever before, ive made so many friends.
> 
> and im gonna keep writing!! idk if by now ill have published the first chap of my next fic, but i got at least 4 in the works. the genyatta tag isnt slowing down anytime soon if i have anything to say abt it!!!!
> 
> thank you again for reading and getting to the end-- BOTH ends. i never could have gotten this far without you.

**Author's Note:**

>  **MASTER-POST OF FANART:**    
>    
>    
> [By freckled-king.](http://freckled-king.tumblr.com/post/156698914032/finished-a-doodle-for-the-amazin-genyatta-fanfic)  
> [By venomines.](http://venomines.tumblr.com/post/156966648750/loooool-some-hats-ive-been-in-a-real-witchy-mood)  
> [By kyan-kyan.](http://kyan-kyan.tumblr.com/post/158733104429/a-gift-for-chohouse-its-from-his-amazing-story) (Spoilers for Chapter 8)  
> [By younggenji.](http://younggenji.tumblr.com/post/159218172164/best-fic-dot-png)  
> [By floofyweresheep.](http://floofyweresheep.tumblr.com/post/159277803092/finally-did-a-drawing-for-oni-and-okashi-by)  
> [By ovalnephrite.](https://ovalnephrite.tumblr.com/post/159281095376/dorks-dancing-this-is-for-chohouses-absolutely)  
> [By minterstellar-x.](https://minterstellar-x.tumblr.com/post/159697805221/when-you-confess-your-love-for-your-best-friend-in)  
> [By gay-cyber-ninja.](http://gay-cyber-ninja.tumblr.com/post/159691401640/%E1%90%9B-i-couldnt-resist-anyway-check-out)  
> [By nakemar.](http://nakemar.tumblr.com/post/159671193885/aaaaaaaaaaa-i-did-fan-art-for-chohouse-n)  
> [By woodiart.](http://woodiart.tumblr.com/post/159464632490/oni-and-okashi-made-by-chohouse-is-the-best-slow)  
> [By masky8hoodie.](https://masky8hoodie.tumblr.com/post/159773518087/so-i-found-this-genyatta-fantasyau-fic-right)  
> [By lovehikarinatsuki.](http://lovehikarinatsuki.tumblr.com/post/159817609694/oh-my-god-i-love-this-fanfic-oni-and-okashi-3)  
> [Submitted by Anonymous (I didn't catch ur name cries)](http://chohouse.tumblr.com/post/160097313423/i-read-your-story-oni-and-okashi-and-you-simply)  
> [By ovalnephrite.](https://ovalnephrite.tumblr.com/post/160408659526/oni-and-okashi-doodle-compilation-complete-with)  
> [By clearurtears.](https://clearurtears.tumblr.com/post/161083062637/couldnt-decide-which-one-i-liked-more-so-have)  
> [Collection of multiple people on twitter here.](https://twitter.com/i/moments/854132660309966848)  
>    
> You can find me on my [tumblr](http://chohouse.tumblr.com/)  
> or my [twitter!!](https://twitter.com/chohouse) where I usually post updates and memes.

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [Kitsune Koibito](https://archiveofourown.org/works/12348279) by [choriarty](https://archiveofourown.org/users/choriarty/pseuds/choriarty)




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